All About Love: When Black Women Sparkle

My initial reaction to entering the exhibition space was awe, as the initial portraits of Black Women you interact with are decorated with rhinestones that twinkle in the space. My reactions were echoed by groups of Black women entering the room, exclaiming "Oooo,” “wow,” “sparkly” in reaction to the pieces. It occurred to me that I don't remember the last time I entered a space that represented Black women as glamorously and regally as Mickalene Thomas has done with this exhibition

The exhibition's title is inspired by bell hooks’ novel All About Love, where she explores how love can manifest in different ways, including friendship, romantic, family, self-love, and divinity. The exhibition responds to the book's question of "What is love?" through Mickalene's heartfelt tribute to the women in her life who have shaped her identity, and the other Black women she has spotlighted in her portraits.

Mickalene's artwork is often focused on women's empowerment. She is inspired by art history and popular culture and uses unconventional materials such as rhinestones and glitter to create her distinctive collage style. She developed this style as a student, unable to afford typical materials such as oil paints, and ventured to the use of crafting materials to bring her artwork to life.

The first artwork that caught my eye was the one of her mother Mama Bush: (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me), Higher and Higher (2009). This piece is such a beautiful tribute not only to Mickalene's late mum, but to all the stylin’ and profilin’ Black mothers out there, including my own, who I can already picture having the same two-piece blazer and skirt suit. Mickalene's mum, Sandra Bush, nicknamed Mama Bush, was a former fashion model and a huge muse for Mickalene. Her understanding of desire comes through witnessing her mother's beauty, suggesting that we first learn how to navigate love by looking at our parents.

It is typically the first love we experience when we enter the world, which explains why it could have such a great impact on our emotional connections. The title of the art references the Jackie Wilson song, perfectly matching Sandra's joy in the artwork, and reflects the positive sense of self-worth her mother has instilled within her. It's a piece that is bound to make you smile, as Sandra's glittering smile is infectious.

This idea of familial love is echoed in the tableau, I was born to do great things (2014) – two reconstructed living rooms from different points of Mickalene's life when she was young. The room on the left recalls early childhood memories of her late grandma's 1970s New Jersey living room. The room on the right reflects a room from her teenage years in the 1980s, featuring a record player with soulful jazz tunes and seductive rhythms echoing throughout the gallery space.

The first thing I noticed was the difference in the tones of the rooms. The 70s room is earthy, bright, and vibrant, with furniture upholstered with colourful patchwork materials, a tribute to her grandma who used second hand clothes to mend furniture. You get a sense that the room is a tapestry of sorts, emerging through memories and cultural understandings her family has curated. It reminds me of my late grandma's room, as it provides a feeling of warmth, full of history and items she has collected over the years. It is an inviting space, reflecting the safety Mickalene must have felt growing up in that space.

The reflective metallic tones of the 80s room create a singular colour palette of light blue and grey, that is punctuated by mirrors lining the back wall. Viewers are encouraged to literally see themselves in the space, inviting them to also revel in the sense of joy and security that Mickalene felt as a teenager. You can develop a sense of self-worth and love through a foundation cultivated on the backs of the women she looks up to, such as her mum.

Notably, within the 70s room is a triptych of photographs of Sandra Bush posing as Pam Grier titled Lounging, Standing, Looking (2003). Pam Grier can only be described as an icon – she is Hollywood's first female action hero and the first Black female action hero known for her Blaxploitation movies (movies from the 70s featuring Black actors, often addressing issues of racism and urban life). Grier was a hero fighting crime, corruption, and beating up bad guys, all while looking gorgeously fashionable and presenting Black women as a symbol of power, strength and beauty, an image I think Hollywood still lacks today.

Having her mother pose as Pam Grier is another nod to Thomas’ feelings of maternal admiration but also showcasing the impact powerful Black Women have had on her. Additionally, the bronze castings of her mother's items can be found dotted around her grandma's room, such as her Crocs and bracelets, again revering her late mum with the key physical items she associates with her memory.

Mickalene Thomas' sense of self is further explored in her Wrestlers series. Here, Mickalene looks at different sides of herself with artist Kalup Linzy, as they pose in different wrestling stances. This is one of my favourite pieces in the exhibition, as it shows Black Women freely existing without the pressures surrounding stereotypes of the 'angry Black woman' and aggression, a stereotype that often limits Black Women's expressions of emotions and self.

Media representation of Black Women is an area Mickalene explores throughout the exhibition, from Eartha Kitt's Angel Now video to images of Celie, the character from The Colour Purple. She circles back to where our understanding of love is and can be shaped. It's through the women we see on our TV screens, to the music we listen to, through our friends and family members.

As a Black Queer Woman, Mickalene works from a feminist political lens. She explores the topic of Black Lives Matter, creating a memorial for the Black Women and Men who have lost their lives to US law enforcement. These pieces tie together the wider importance of her artwork in showcasing Black figures as a form of political resistance against social injustices the Black community faces and continues to face.

The exhibition celebrates Black culture and womanhood and makes me more intrigued about Mickalene as an artist. This is my first time viewing her art and I'm so grateful to have seen it, and to the Hayward Gallery for spotlighting her as an artist. She tells a narrative through her artwork of a community that is not often given accessibility to these types of art spaces making a point to emphasise “My art gives Black women their flowers and lets them know that they are the main character always.” It is something I encourage you all to witness for yourselves and enter this necessary space appreciating Black Womanhood.

Mickalene Thomas: All About Love is on at the Hayward Gallery until the 5 May 2025.

By Nana Mills-Robertson