Bio

Rachel Elise Thomas (b. 1988) was born and is based in Detroit, Michigan. Thomas identifies as an interdisciplinary artist, designer, writer, archivist, and educator. Working within photography-based approaches, Thomas employs collage, printmaking, sculpture, and site-specific installation to explore the intricate nuances of her personal identity. Since adolescence, she has been heavily influenced and fascinated by the various photo albums in her family’s home—her connection to deceased relatives, their origins in the South, migration to Detroit, and passed-down heirlooms connected to her lineage. Through her work, she revisits the past, but also uses this as an opportunity to embrace it. Resourcing decades-old advertisements (Black Americana), Thomas simultaneously critiques conventional beauty standards—what they mean and what they look like—inviting her viewers to gain perspective on biases surrounding colorism, misogynoir, and desirability. She utilizes her personal and familial archives, along with her extensive collection of printed publications—forming the heart and foundation of her work.

Thomas first earned an Associate of Applied Science in Photographic Technology from Oakland Community College with cum laude honors. She then received her BFA in Photography from the College for Creative Studies with academic honors, along with the Imre J. Molnar Artistic Achievement Award. Furthering her education, Thomas was awarded a full-tuition scholarship to support her graduate studies, earning an MFA with an emphasis in Photography from the Cranbrook Academy of Art ('24).

In 2024, Thomas was a recipient of the Creator Labs Photo Fund—a lens-based grant provided by Google & Aperture. During the summer of 2026, Thomas traveled to Africa for the first time—receiving a fellowship to participate in the DETZIM Artist Residency in Zimbabwe, where she also exhibited work at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Harare.