Mickalene thomas biography of mahatma

1971—

Artist

Though she never planned to be an artist, Mickalene Thomas has emerged as an art world phenomenon. Using oil painting, photography, and colored crystals, she has created a bold body of work that tackles themes of "self-image, eroticism, black female celebrity, and the marketing of black urban identity," according to the Rhona Hoffman Gallery.

With bright colors, unconventional materials, and a heavy nod to 1970s imagery, Thomas' work has also set the mainstream media abuzz, attracting an audience well beyond the art world, a fact which Thomas relished. "I am proud to be able to exhibit my work and inspire young people," she told Contemporary Black Biography (CBB).

"Especially young black women so they know that they are beautiful, that they don't have to hold onto any negative stereotypes."

Discovered Art Through Therapy

Mickalene Thomas was born January 28, 1971, in Camden, NJ and raised mainly by her grandmother in a community of strong