Artist Mickalene Thomas: Being an Artist Is a Radical Act (2025)

Video (31:09): Artist interview with Mickalene Thomas. She was interviewed by Marc-Christoph Wagner (Louisiana Channel) in her studio in Brooklyn, New York, in March 2025.

Mickalene Thomas: I believe in the power of images. And I believe images do change the world.

Mickalene Thomas is a renowned multidisciplinary artist celebrated for her vibrant, rhinestone-adorned portraits of Black women. Exploring themes of identity, race, and gender, her work explores themes of Black female identity and its complexities within Western culture. A Tony-nominated co-producer, curator, educator, and mentor, Thomas made history in 2023 as the first Black queer femme artist with a Yale University scholarship in her name. Her work is held in prominent collections, including MoMA, the Whitney, and the Smithsonian.

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