Mickalene Thomas (1971- ) is an American artist who creates paintings, collages, photographs, videos, and installations. Her pieces reimagine the Black female nude as a subject of desire and center the female gaze. Her complex portraits and landscapes explore gender and sexuality and how pop culture influences how women are represented. Her collages with glitter and rhinestones reconstruct ideas around beauty and sexuality and open conversations around femininity and desire. ⁠ Thomas received a BFA from the Pratt Institute in 2000 and an MFA from Yale University School of Art in 2002.