Afro goddess really provides a sense of validation of beauty and owning my space - claiming these notions of who you are in the world and how you see yourself. For most paintings in the Western canon, the discourse is all about the gaze. So I wanted that to be the focal point with the painting, for the viewer to know that the eyes will hold and engage with them, but they can't divert, no matter which way they look.
Mickalene Thomas
Limited edition of 91044.9 (H) × 68.1 (W) cm
Artwork
Sold out
Love this work?
Subscribe to get notified about any cancellations and early access on next releases.
Mickalene Thomas is her own muse in a tableaux exploring self love.
As the Afro Goddess, Mickalene reclines on a couch haloed by her sparkling afro. The portrait centres on the unwavering gaze of the artist’s eyes – cut and pasted from a black and white self-portrait. The bold patterns on her clothes give way to a collaged backdrop that hints at a luxurious interior. Mickalene shrouds her image in the power that Black women are historically excluded from.
Afro Goddess Looking Forward is an early example of Mickalene’s now iconic visual language that blends printmaking, painting, and collage techniques. This faithful edition meticulously translates the original into an 8 layer silkscreen, embellished with glitters to emphasise the iridescence of her hair and clothes.
Framing
Prints can be ordered float-mounted in one of two framing options.Medium
UV pigment print on 410gsm Somerset Tub Sized Radiant White paper with 8 silkscreen layers, including 2 silkscreen metallic shimmer and glitter layers, gloss varnish, CMYK silkscreen panels and matte varnish seal.Edition size
910Authentication
Signed and dated by the artist. Individually numbered.Certificate of Authenticity
Arrives with a certificate of authenticity.Release date
March 18, 2025We ship framed and unframed prints flat in bespoke boxes. You'll find gloves and handling instructions inside. If you order more than one unframed print, your artworks may be shipped in the same box.
Payment
Pay with bank card, crypto, Apple Pay or Google Pay. If you wish you to use an alternative payment method, get in touch.
Policies
Mickalene Thomas10 collaborationsMickalene Thomas set out to change the face of art history, and that's exactly what she did. In her loud but tender multimedia portraits, Black femme power, beauty and desire take centre stage. Whether it's the artist herself, her mother, a lover, a friend or a public figure like Michelle Obama, each woman tells her own story. In Thomas' words: "The gaze of my work is unapologetically a Black woman's gaze loving other Black women."¹ This deep sense of adoration and respect comes through in all of her art – not just her portraits but her interiors and photography too. The bright Pop Art-esque blend of photography, collage, paint and craft shop materials like rhinestones has a celebratory feel designed to uplift and empower the next generation. "For me, it's all about trying to inspire and make young girls, when they walk into a space like [a museum], feel a sense of themselves. They see that they're represented."
Reviews from Avant collectors
Discover more print editions on Avant Arte
Available
Available
Draw
Draw