Mickalene Thomas’ Portraits of Love, Glamour, and Joy

Rhinestones

“May 1975 Redux,” from 2022, is another of Thomas’ signature mixed-media works, blending rhinestones, acrylic paint, and more. “I’m thinking of the rhinestone as these little pellets of color, that are mini parts that make a whole, that make a form, that make a shadow, that exude light, depending on the type of rhinestone,” she says. “All of those things are part of the consideration.”