Mickalene Thomas

Mickalene Thomas (b. 1971, Camden, NJ) lives and works in Brooklyn. She earned her BFA in painting at Pratt Institute in 2000 and her MFA at the Yale University School of Art in 2002. Thomas has participated in residencies at the Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, 2000–2003; the Versailles Foundation Munn Artists Program, Giverny, France, 2011; and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Madison, 2013. Thomas’s work is part of many prominent public collections including The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Brooklyn Museum, New York; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York; The International Center of Photography, New York; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Art Institute of Chicago; and Hara Museum ARC, Gunma, Japan, among others.

Interview with the Artist

1. Who's your favorite artist?
David Hockney.
2. What's your favorite film?
Bullets Over Broadway by Woody Allen.
3. If not yourself, who would you want to be?
Priscilla, my dog, the funniest miniature long-haired dachshund that I know.
4. What's your motto or favorite quote?
"Never be shaken, no matter what happens or what others say. Never be flustered. Never lose confidence. This is the way we should strive to live our lives. Doing so is a sign of genuine character." — Daisaku Ikeda
5. What would you want your last meal on earth to be?
Pork. Loads of pork, especially the pork belly!
6. What's your guilty pleasure?
Watching a movie to fall asleep.

Articles

Introducing Giants
Introducing Giants
Magnus Resch picks the Artspace editions for you to buy now
Magnus Resch picks the Artspace editions for you to buy now
Mickalene Thomas's Really Great Year
Mickalene Thomas's Really Great Year
IFPDA Print Fair Preview - An Interview with Tandem Press
IFPDA Print Fair Preview - An Interview with Tandem Press
The Female Gaze: Women Artists on the Male and Female Form
The Female Gaze: Women Artists on the Male and Female Form
Female forms - shape making among great women artists
Female forms - shape making among great women artists
John M Armleder and Kenny Scharf launch new Vilebrequin swimwear
John M Armleder and Kenny Scharf launch new Vilebrequin swimwear
Mickalene Thomas releases two new Phaidon Artspace Editions
Mickalene Thomas releases two new Phaidon Artspace Editions
The 2021 Holiday Collection - LOUNGE
The 2021 Holiday Collection - LOUNGE
The 2021 Holiday Collection - PLAY
The 2021 Holiday Collection - PLAY
Glennda Testone on the latest Artspace auction
Glennda Testone on the latest Artspace auction
Derrick Adams Just Launched Some Cool Swimwear With Vilebrequin
Derrick Adams Just Launched Some Cool Swimwear With Vilebrequin
7 Innovative Mobile Abodes That Uncannily Resemble Artworks
7 Innovative Mobile Abodes That Uncannily Resemble Artworks
5 Galleries to Know in Chicago
5 Galleries to Know in Chicago
The Great Vitamin P3 Painting Hunt
The Great Vitamin P3 Painting Hunt
Why Does Phaidon's Vitamin P3 Matter?
Why Does Phaidon's Vitamin P3 Matter?
Invite Mickalene Thomas to Your Next Pillow Fight
Invite Mickalene Thomas to Your Next Pillow Fight
The 7 Best MFA Painting Programs in the U.S.
The 7 Best MFA Painting Programs in the U.S.
10 Artists to Watch This August
10 Artists to Watch This August
How Relevant Is Renoir?
How Relevant Is Renoir?
Barkley Hendricks on Not Being a Political Artist
Barkley Hendricks on Not Being a Political Artist
Collecting With a Conscience
Collecting With a Conscience
10 of the Best Artworks at EXPO CHICAGO 2015
10 of the Best Artworks at EXPO CHICAGO 2015
Alexis Bittar on Transmuting Jewelry Into Art
Alexis Bittar on Transmuting Jewelry Into Art
The Most Compelling Artists to Follow on Instagram
The Most Compelling Artists to Follow on Instagram
See Photos From Mickalene Thomas's Studio & More
See Photos From Mickalene Thomas's Studio & More
Watch a Studio Visit With Mickalene Thomas
Watch a Studio Visit With Mickalene Thomas