Hank Willis-Thomas
Media, Arts & Entertainment
Owning the narrative
NEW YORK, NY
Hank Willis-Thomas illustrates ideas and vantage points through art, creating conceptual works with themes related to perspective, identity, commodity, and representation of Blackness in media & society. His works have been displayed around the world in institutions including the David Zwirner Gallery in New York, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and the Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art in the Netherlands. Addressing social systems that perpetuate inequality and bias through photography and mixed media has earned Willis-Thomas a renown in the arts community, as well as recognition from fellow change-makers including Beyoncé.
In a recent work, the artist projected statements of incarcerated individuals onto the U.S. Department of Justice building in Washington D.C. The mixed media, conceptual performance work projected an 11-minute loop over 60 minutes to bring the issue of improper health and safety measures in prisons during the COVID-19 pandemic to light. The work is an excellent example of Willis-Thomas’ use of visual arts to discuss social justice, building on roots from works like Question Bridge on male identity.
Ask About
HOW TO MAKE A CHANGE THROUGH ART
HOW TO ADDRESS SOCIAL INJUSTICE
HOW TO VISUALIZE AN IDEA
Tribes
NYU
California College of the Arts
Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art
David Zwirner Gallery
MoMA
Guggenheim Museum