Celebrating Equality and Challenging Stereotypes Through Art
Hank Willis Thomas, 2020 | Photo:Jeff Vespa
Pace Gallery, which represents an impressive roster of contemporary artists including Sonia Gomes, Chuck Close, and Gideon Appah, has recently welcomed Thomas as their newest artist. His work will be shown alongside some of the most exciting contemporary artists working today. It is worth noting that Pace Gallery's representation of Thomas was made official after the gallery merged with Kayne Griffin, a Los Angeles gallery that represented him prior to its closure last year. While Thomas will now be represented by Pace, he will also continue to be represented by New York's Jack Shainman Gallery.
Hank Willis Thomas is a conceptual artist who explores themes of mass media, identity, popular culture, and perspective through a range of mediums. His work encourages viewers to question commercial consumer representation and the racial stereotypes it perpetuates. Thomas' most recent project, The Embrace, is a 20-foot tall, 32-foot-wide bronze sculpture that celebrates collaboration, love, and equality while exploring themes of economic and racial justice.
Thomas' monument to Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife was unveiled in Boston in 2021, attended by the city council and countless others. The project began in 2016, and the design was unveiled in Jan 2021, scheduled to be inaugurated in the fall of 2022 but was delayed. The same day as the monument unveiling, Pace Gallery announced Thomas would join them via a newsletter, sent mere hours after the Boston event. This indicates the esteem in which Thomas is held by the contemporary art world and the recognition of his significant contribution to contemporary art.
King Boston Initiative chose a sculpture called The Embrace, which was created by artist Hank Willis Thomas.
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