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The Arts Intel Report

Mickalene Thomas: All About Love

Mickalene Thomas, Afro Goddess Looking Forward, 2015.

May 25 – Sept 29, 2024
221 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012

In the art of Mickalene Thomas, grainy black-and-white cutouts swim amid silkscreen prints, rhinestones, and images in oil paint—a mix inspired by modernist movements and the Harlem Renaissance. These dazzling collages make the power and beauty of Black women their primary subject. “To see yourself,” Thomas has explained, “and for others to see you, is a form of validation.” With over 80 pieces in different media, this is Thomas’s largest retrospective yet. It’s also her first touring exhibition. —Elena Clavarino