Rachel Elise Thomas (b. 1988) – Detroit, MI

I consider myself an interdisciplinary artist, designer, and researcher, working in the realm of lens-adjacent approaches. In my practice, I am deeply committed to pushing the boundaries of photography in terms of its creation, presentation, and discourse–using collage, printmaking, mixed media, objects, and site-specific installation to delve into the intricate nuances of my personal identity and familial relationships–fueling my deep engagement with the subject matter and materials I research by discovering the connections and insights that go unnoticed.

Using research as a tool to further my practice, this is an opportunity to investigate, examine, and question the past/history of being a Black American in this country. By comparing the past to the present, and revealing that despite superficial changes, many of the underlying issues persist–such as white supremacy, prejudices, consumerism, and beauty standards are simply repackaged and rebranded for a new era.