Portrait of Mnonja

Mickalene Thomas creates large-scale paintings of African American women to explore notions of sexuality and race through rituals associated with female beauty. Her models dress up and pose for photographs on a studio set; Thomas works from these photographs to produce finished works. Rhinestones and sequins recall folk art traditions as well as the jewelry and cosmetics that can enhance or mask a woman's identity. Mnonja exudes dignity and self-assurance as she reclines against a wood-paneled background redolent of a seventies-era family room.