I want to give a shout out to an artist whose work has inspired what I do here at Brittle Paper.
Those who read Brittle Paper know how seriously I take the images that accompany every blog post. Images are not just accessories. They heighten the power of written work and help readers connect emotionally to texts.
In the course of my time as an editor, my search for powerful images has led me to some startling discoveries—one of which is the work of Mickalene Thomas, an American artist with a dazzling body of work crafted and adorned with acrylic, rhinestones, and enamel.
It all began with a story sent in by the Nigerian on-air personality, Wana Udobang. The story features a heart-rending and intimate account of a woman struggling with weight gain and issues of body image. (click here if you missed it.)
To make the woman’s anguish more present, I wanted to pair it with an image that told the opposite story, an image that characterized black female bodies and identity in the most powerfully provocative light.
My search was rewarded with one of Thomas’ work featuring a black woman siting in a boudoir. Her pose is suggestive—almost seductive but in an understated way. However, what I found remarkable about the image is the strong, resolute, and defiant gaze she fixes on whoever or whatever is standing before her.
Wana Udobang’s powerful story has since been adapted to film, and I am ever more convinced that Thomas’ image introduced into the story its underlying message of hope.
In honor of an artist whose work has played its part in inspiring the literary work I do here, I invite you to visit her newly designed page where you can learn about her life and work, in addition to seeing a dazzling variety of pieces from her catalog.
As I revisit these images, I’m struck by Thomas’s uncanny ability to capture the black female body—drenched in color and situated in spaces of intimacy—in bejeweled tones of beauty and elegance.
The fact that she draws inspiration from African aesthetic forms should also be noted. “African art,” she says in an interview, “is prominent in my work; it’s something I refer to especially regarding space and color.”
Click HERE for a stunning visual experience of Thomas’s work.
Ainehi Edoro March 26, 2015 12:55
@Eddi: Thanks so much for your kind words!