Free Preview: Mickalene Thomas’ All About Love at Hayward Gallery
A Defining Voice in Contemporary Art
Mickalene Thomas has long been one of the most compelling voices in contemporary art, known for her dazzling, rhinestone-studded portraits that celebrate Black women and interrogate ideas of beauty, power, and identity. With her newest show All About Love at the Hayward Gallery in London, Thomas brings her signature style to the UK for her first-ever solo exhibition at a British public institution.
We had the opportunity to chat with Mickalene at the Hayward the day after the retrospective opened. The opening was standing room only, wall-to-wall people celebrating this moment. This touring retrospective feels like the crescendo of 20 years of work. I wasn’t sure what we were going to get from the interview, since we had a live audience exploring the show, but I was excited to take the temperature with her and see where she's at and how she feels about the giant stage she's finally on.
Watch our full interview with Mickalene Thomas
The exhibition title draws inspiration from bell hooks' seminal book All About Love, a reflection on the power of love as a radical force. Thomas, whose work consistently spotlights the beauty and complexity of Black women, takes that message and translates it into immersive, nostalgic spaces filled with rich textures and vibrant patterns. The show features paintings, photographs, collages, and installations that transform the gallery into a domestic universe—a homage to both personal memories and a broader cultural lineage.
A Journey Through Nostalgic Environments
Walking through the Hayward, visitors encounter not just art but environments. Thomas creates entire rooms lined with custom wallpapers, patterned textiles, and plush furnishings reminiscent of 1970s interiors. These spaces invite viewers to linger—echoing the artist’s ongoing exploration of radical repose, a concept that frames rest and leisure for Black women as both necessary and revolutionary.
Monumental Portraits
At the heart of the show are Thomas’ monumental portraits, which challenge traditional ideas of beauty and representation. Her subjects—often friends, muses, and lovers—reclaim space and gaze with unwavering confidence. By embellishing her works with rhinestones, enamel, and vibrant colors, Thomas nods to the decorative traditions of art history while asserting a contemporary, unapologetic Black aesthetic.
All About Love follows stops at The Broad in Los Angeles and the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, with each iteration offering a unique take on Thomas’ expansive practice. In London, the show feels particularly intimate—an invitation to not only see but feel the power of love and care through the artist's lens.
Radical Love and Legacy
Thomas' work has always blurred the line between personal and political, and All About Love is no exception. In a time when rest, beauty, and self-love are themselves radical acts, her vision offers both refuge and resistance. This exhibition cements Mickalene Thomas not only as one of the defining artists of her generation but as an architect of new ways to see and love the world around us.