In honoring Mickalene Thomas this spring as one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2025, 16-time Grammy-winner Alicia Keys called the celebrated American contemporary artist “a mastermind at conveying poignant messages through striking visuals.”
“Mickalene herself is walking art,” Keys wrote in her paean to the 54-year-old Brooklyn resident. “She has such a distinct presence and aura that it’s impossible not to feel inspired by her. The art and the artist both are bold, fearless, and fierce.”
