( ENSPIRE Feature ) Guests Gather to Celebrate Micaklene Thomas After Frieze LA
ENSPIRE Contributor: Wesley Tran
On February 18th, art world insiders and close friends gathered at the home of Nathalie Marciano to celebrate the accomplishments of Mickalene Thomas during an intimate VIP dinner co-hosted by Art Firm Advisors’s Nathalie Marciano and Julie Miyoshi, A Celebration of Women in Art‘s Nicole Ehrlich and world-renowned Iron Chef, Cat Cora. Mickalene Thomas was born and raised in New Jersey. Her innovative paintings, photographs, and films instantly made her recognizable and widely celebrated in the world of contemporary art. Her works eloquently dissect the complexities of black and female identity within Western culture.
Mickalene Thomas is known for her elaborate paintings of rhinestones, acrylic, and enamel. She is a Tony Award-nominated co-producer, curator, educator, and mentor to many emerging artists. Through her use of nudity and abstraction in her works, she pieces together different parts of different people onto women, empowering women by portraying them to be more than just their bodies. By challenging the social norms of the modern art world, Thomas strengthens the image of women and exposes the objectifying gaze of society. Thomas broke through the barriers of social norms and wasn’t afraid to do what no other artist has done to break apart the complexities surrounding black and female identity.
Mickalene Thomas, without a doubt, earned the praise she received at this event. She challenged the societal norms that keep us from evolving as a society and set new limits for the next generation to surpass. While not only following her passion, she left her mark on society by dissecting the social standards that are placed around black and female identity. She serves as a role model to up-and-coming artists who want to use their talent as a platform to spread awareness and challenge stereotypes. To those who aren’t artists, she still stands as an inspiration to impact the world that raised you while remembering to not give up the talents and passions that you hold.
For more information and to see some of Mickalene Thomas’s works visit mickalenethomas.com
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