Hank Willis Thomas

Let Love Quiet Fear (2024) is our first collaboration with Hank Willis Thomas

Hank Willis Thomas is a conceptual artist known for his exploration of themes related to mass media, identity, popular culture, and perspective. Working across various mediums, including sculpture, screen-printing, and installation art, Thomas often uses recognizable icons from branding and marketing to challenge commercial representation and racial stereotypes. His practice, which he likens to that of a "visual cultural archaeologist," encourages viewers to question how popular imagery shapes perceptions of self and others.

Thomas’s work often examines the structures and images that perpetuate economic and racial prejudice. His seminal Unbranded series (2005–08) critiques the intersection of race, class, media, and culture by digitally removing text from historical advertisements, revealing the underlying biases. His recent project, The Embrace (2022), a 20-foot-tall bronze memorial inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, continues his inquiry into justice and equality, now permanently installed in Boston Common.

Thomas has collaborated on notable projects such as Question Bridge: Black Males and For Freedoms, the latter earning the 2017 ICP Infinity Award for New Media and Online Platform. His work has been exhibited extensively, including at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, and is held in public collections worldwide.

Thomas holds a BFA from New York University and an MA/MFA from California College of the Arts. He lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.