Hank Willis Thomas

Hank Willis Thomas is a conceptual artist based in New York, whose practice critically examines themes of identity, commodity, media, and popular culture. He frequently incorporates widely recognizable icons, often from advertising campaigns, to explore how they reinforce generalizations around race, gender, and ethnicity. His iconic 2006 photography series, *B®anded*, superimposed Black male bodies with the Nike swoosh, drawing parallels between historical branding of enslaved people and the contemporary objectification of Black men.

While trained in photography, Thomas's work has expanded to include diverse media, notably mirrors and retroreflective vinyl. This industrial material is used to challenge viewer perspectives, particularly when engaging with 20th-century protest images and overlooked historical narratives. Flash photography often activates these pieces, placing the viewer in the role of image-maker and revealing hidden layers that question who is included or erased from history.

Influenced by social history and the ongoing struggle for equality, Thomas co-founded For Freedoms in 2016 with Eric Gottesman. This artist-led platform uses art to foster creative civic engagement and deepen public discourse on the concept of freedom in the 21st century, drawing inspiration from Norman Rockwell's *Four Freedoms*.