Rachel Elise Thomas (b. 1988) is a lens-adjacent, interdisciplinary artist, designer, and youth art teacher. With their artistic practice, Thomas aims to push the boundaries in which photography is created, presented, and discussed—using collage, mixed media, and site-specific installation as a catalyst to discuss personal, and often uncomfortable topics pertaining to identity, family, and colorism.

The use of her personal and familial archive serves to place their visual history within a larger context–allowing Thomas to explore memory and nostalgia in ways that are both very satisfying and cathartic. Heavily influenced by her collection of Black publications (Ebony, Essence, JET Magazine), and advertisements pertaining to Black Americana, Thomas confronts viewers with the realities of colorism and its biases–exploring the complexities of racial identity, while also challenging the conventional notions of beauty. Through her use of collage and site-specific installation, she creates immersive environments that engage the viewer in a dialogue about these themes. Thomas’s work is both visually striking and intellectually stimulating, offering viewers a unique perspective that intersects with larger cultural narratives.

Thomas’s art practice also involves teaching. Developing art classes and workshops where her focus is community involvement—mainly youth and teens from Detroit and its metropolitan areas, her classes explore themes of self-expression and representation, which encourages her students to explore their own experiences and unique perspectives through collage and mixed media.

Thomas received their BFA in Photography from the College for Creative Studies in her hometown of Detroit, Michigan. She is currently an MFA candidate at the Cranbrook Academy of Art (‘24) with an emphasis in Photography.