Mickalene Thomas: Je t’adore deux

Galerie Nathalie Obadia presents a new exhibition by Mickalene Thomas in Paris, marking a significant moment in the artist’s rising institutional recognition in Europe. Following her acclaimed exhibition at the Musée de l’Orangerie in 2023 and her current solo show at Les Abattoirs – Musée Frac Occitanie Toulouse, this presentation brings together eleven new works inspired by JET magazine and Nus Exotiques.

Drawing from archival imagery, Thomas reimagines these sources through bold collages that combine retro wallpaper, textiles, rhinestones, and motifs from the Black domestic sphere. Her works interrogate and subvert historical representations of Black women, addressing the complex intersections of race, gender, sexuality, and power.

For over two decades, Thomas has established herself as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary American art. Her practice builds on the legacy of artists such as Romare Bearden and Faith Ringgold, while articulating new ways of representing Black female subjectivity—plural, active, and self-determined.