Born in the United States, 1976
Lives and works in New York, NY

EDUCATION
2004 MFA, Photography, California College of the Arts, Oakland, CA
2004 MA, Visual Criticism, California College of the Arts, Oakland, CA
1998 BFA, Photography & Africana Studies, New York University, New York, NYI

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2009

• “Digging Deeper”, in collaboration with Willie Cole, Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT

2008

• “Winter In America”, de Saisset Museum, Santa Clara, CA
• Untitled, in collaboration with Willie Cole, the Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, CT
• “Unbranded”, Jack Shainman Gallery, New York, NY

2006

• “Signifying Blackness”, Sesnon Art Gallery, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
• “B®ANDED”, Jack Shainman Gallery, New York, NY
• “Unbranded”, Lisa Dent Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2005

• “Bearing Witness”, African American Museum in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
• “Family Matters”, The Light Factory, Charlotte, NC

2004

• Hank Willis Thomas, Lisa Dent Gallery, San Francisco, CA
• “The Trade Dress: Value Judgments”, Diaspora Vibe Gallery, Miami, FL

2003

• “After Happily Ever”, Long & Pollack Gallery, San Francisco, CA
• “Mother to Son”, Texas Women’s University, Danville, TX

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITION
2010

• “Pictures & Statues”, Country Club, Cincinnati, OH

2008

• “Unchained Legacy”, Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown, MA
• “After 1968”, High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA
• “Global Africa”, High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA
• “From Taboo to Icon: Africanist Turnabout”, Ice Box Projects Space, Philadelphia, PA
• “We’re All in this together”, Swarm Gallery, Oakland, CA

2007

• “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song”, Von Lintel Gallery, New York, NY
• “Ad | Agency”, Photographic Resource Center, Boston, MA
• “Branded and on Display”, Krannert Art Museum, Champaign, IL
• “MASH”, The Helena, New York, NY
• “For the Love of the Game”, Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, CT
• “Keep the Change”, Nathan Cummings Foundation, Brooklyn, NY
• “Visual Alchemy”, Oakland Art Gallery, Oakland, CA
• “Negotiating Identities in Africa and the African Diaspora”, Gettysburg College, PA
• “Reasons to Riot”, Memphis College of Art, Memphis, TN
• “Crossing the Line”, Cornell Fine Arts Museum, Winter Park, FL
• “Taking Possession”, University of Arkansas, Little Rock, AR
• “Cross Sections”, 18th Street Art Center, Los Angeles, CA

2006

• The California Biennial, The Orange County Museum of Art, Newport Beach, CA
• “Kapital”, Kent Gallery, New York, NY
• “The Black Alphabet”, Zacheta National Gallery, Warsaw, Poland
• “Luxury Goods”, Kathleen Cullen Fine Arts, New York, NY
• “Metro Pictures”, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Miami; The Moore Space, FL
• “Black Panther Rank and File”, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
• “Emerging Artists Fellowship Exhibition”, Socrates Sculpture Park, NY
• “The Whole World is Rotten”, Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, OH
• “Double Exposure”, Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, CT
• “Under the Influenced = I”, Bernice Steinbaum Gallery, Miami, FL

2005

• “Frequency”, The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY
• “Day Labor”, P.S.1, New York, NY
• “Bay Area Now 4”, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
• “Remnants, Relics”, Jamaica Center for Art & Learning, New York, NY
• “Propeller”, Steve Turner Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
• “Recovered Views”, de Saisset Museum, Santa Clara, CA
• “Saturday Night/Sunday Morning”, African-American Museum in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
• “Maximum Flavor”, ACA Gallery, Atlanta College of Art, Atlanta, GA
• “5x5”, Wertz Contemporary Gallery, Atlanta, GA
• “The GlamMore Show Revisited”, PlaySpace Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2004

• “Salad Days”, Artists Space, New York, NY
• “Jamaica Flux”, Jamaica Center for Art and Learning, New York, NY
• “Coasticated”, Punch Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2003

• “Missing Person’s”, Pro Arts Gallery, Oakland, CA
• “GenArt’s Emerge 2003”, The Big House, San Francisco, CA
• “POPULAR tm”, Works Gallery, San Jose, CA
• MFA Thesis Exhibition, California College of the Arts, San Francisco, CA
• “25 Under 25: American Photographers”, Gulf & Western Gallery, New York, NY
• “Saturday Night/Sunday Morning”, The Leica Gallery, New York, NY

2002

• “Murphy & Cadagon Awards Exhibition”, San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2001

• “Moments in Love”, Intimacy and Kinship, Grand Central Station, New York, NY
• “The Legacy of Gordon Parks”, Oakland Museum, Oakland, CA
• “Latent Discoveries”, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
• “Reflecting Black”, The Bomani Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2000

• “Reflections In Black”, Smithsonian Institution, Arts & Industries Building, Washington, DC
• “Fuzzy Logic”, Southern Exposure Gallery, San Francisco, CA
• “Group Exhibition”, Long & Pollack Gallery, California College of the Arts, San Francisco, CA
• “Oneness”, The New York Ba’hai Center, New York, NY
• Alumni Exhibition, Duke Ellington School for the Arts, Washington, DC

1999

• “Speak to my Heart”, Smithsonian Institution, The Anacostia Museum, Washington, DC

1998

• “4i’s, Gulf & Western Gallery”, Tisch School of the Arts, New York, NY
• “The Family”, Bronfman Center for Jewish Life, New York, NY

1994

• “Images & Inspirations”, National Museum of American History, Washington, DC

1993

• Student Exhibition, Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2009

• Willis, Deborah, Hank Willis Thomas, and Kalia Brooks. Progeny: Deborah Willis and Hank Willis Thomas. New York: Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Art Gallery, Columbia University.

2008

• Rice, Robin. “Life in Turnabout.” Citypaper Philadelphia, Jan 23.
• Cook, Greg. “Bought and Sold.” The Phoenix, Jan. 22.

2007

• Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete. By William C. Rhoden. Crown Publishers Inc. Page 182.
• FLAVA: Wedge Curatorial Projects 1997-2007. Edited by Elizabeth Harney. Wedge Curatorial Projects. Page 131.
• Dawson, Jessica. “Black Panther Rank and File’ Rallying Its Own Art Movement.” The Washington Post, Nov 23. C02.
• Johnson, Martin. “Image Makers.” Baltimore City Paper, Nov 21.
• Bing, Alison. “Watch This Space.” 7 x 7, May, Page 109.
• Bishop, Philip E. “Exhibit Explores History, Hipness.” Orlando Sentinel, April 19.
• “Capacity Character, Hank Willis Thomas.” URB Magazine, May, Page 31.
• Anderson, Dave. “Priceless.” Frank, Fall/Winter, Page 66-71.
• Williams, Carla. “Hank Willis Thomas: Winter in America.” Nka Journal of Contemporary African Art, Fall, Pages 120-121.
• Davis, Beandrea. “The Elusive Concept of Blackness.” Colorlines, Nov/Dec, Page 45-47.

2006

• Winter in America. with Kambui Olujimi. 81 Press Frequency. Edited by Thelma Golden. The Studio Museum in Harlem. Pages 7, 88-89.
• 2006 California Biennial. Edited by Elizabeth Armstrong, Rita Gonzalez and Karen Moss. Orange County Museum of Art. Pages 152-5.
• Brooks, Kalia. “Hank Willis Thomas.” Contact Sheet 137, The Light Work Annual 2006, Pages 28-33.
• Peavy, Jessica Ann. “A Brand New School of Thought.” NY Arts, September/October, Page 77.
• Trelles, Emma. “Urban Sprawl.” Sun-Sentinel, July 30.
• Swanson, Mary Virginia. “Die Talent-Nummer.” FotoMAGAZIN, July, Page 18.
• Mack, Joshua. “Hank Willis Thomas - Branded.” Modern Painter, June, Page 112.
• Henry, Lisa. “¡Mira!,” Fotophile, Number 50, June, Page 36.
• Turner, Elisa. “Metro pictures: Joint exhibit tells movie-like stories of conflict and loss in city spaces.” Miami Herald, May 14, Page 3M.
• Cotter, Holland. “Art in Review; Hank Willis Thomas.” New York Times, April 7.
• Baker, Kenneth. “Remembering the look, the sound, the grit of a revolution.” San Francisco Chronicle, April 8, Page E-1.
• Valdez, Sarah. “Report from New York: Bling and Beyond.” Art in America, April, Page 61.
• Cash, Stephanie. “Report from San Francisco II: New and Now.” Art in America, January, Page 57.
• Kastner, Jeffrey. “Frequency.” Artforum, January, Page 217.

2005

• Slight, Clarissa T. “Picturing Us: Together.” International Review of African American Art, Volume 20, Number 3, Page 46.
• Anderson, Diane. “Campaign Hijack… somber ‘Priceless’.” Brandweek, October 17, Page 42.
• Fox, Catherine. “Atlantan among 5 Showing lively vibe.” Atlanta Journal Constitution, October 9.
• Williams, Carla. “On View.” Photograph, September/October, Page 76.
• Baker, Kenneth. “Cross section of Bay Area artists’ work highlights the chasm between creators and crowd.” San Francisco Chronicle, July 30, Page E-1.
• Goldsmith, Meredith. “Artist parodies ads to bring awareness.” Oakland Tribune, Bay Area Living, July 30.
• Jameson, Tonya. “Cameras of mother, son chronicle experience of blacks, past and present.” Charlotte Observer, June 12.
• Feaster, Felicia. “Buy and large.” Creative Loafing Atlanta, June 2.
• Marshall, Melvin A. “A Cutting-Edge Provocateur: The Bold, New Photography of Hank Willis Thomas.” Valentine New York, Volume II, Issue 1, Page 60.

2004

• Black: A Celebration of a Culture. Deborah Willis. Hylas Publishing. Pages 221, 230, 290.
• Pieces of Cloth, Pieces of Culture: Tapa from Tonga & The Pacific Islands, Center for Art and Public Life, at California College of the Arts.
• Cotter, Holland. “For New Art, Just Take the 7 Train.” New York Times, November 12, Section E, Page 33.

2003

• 25 Under 25: American Photographers. Iris Tillman Hill. Center for Documentary Studies & Power House Press.
• Feeney, Mark. “Seeing Black Culture, Moment by Stark Moment.” Boston Globe, Oct. 5.
• Copelands, Huey. “Being in the Picture: Hank Willis Thomas’s Frame Series.” Qui Parle, 13.2 (Spring/Summer).

2002

• The Spirit Of Family, by Al & Tipper Gore. Henry Holt & Company, Inc. Pages 14-5.

2001

• Friendship, W.M. Morrows Press
• Boxer, Sarah. “Black Photographers Who Are Trying to Get Blackness Right.” New York
• Times, November 9, Section E, Page 32.

2000

• Reflections in Black, Edited by Deborah Willis. WW Norton Publishing. Pages 257-8, 277.

1996

• The Family of Black America, Michael H. Cottman and Deborah Willis. Crown Publishers Inc. Pages 122-6.
• Sugar In The Raw, Rebecca Carroll. Crown Publishing Inc. Cover.

1995

• Million Man March, Edited by Michael H. Cottman, Crown Publishers Inc. Pages 13, 39, 81.

FILM/ VIDEO
2007

• Along the Way, with the ©ause Collective. 13 min.

2005

• Winter In America, made in collaboration with Kambui Olujimi. 4 min.

SCREENINGS/ FILM FESTIVALS
2008

• Sundance Film Festival: New Frontiers Category

2007

• Scanners: New York International Video Festival
• Illuminated Corridor: The Great Wall of Oakland

SELECTED AWARDS/LECTURES
2007

• International Center for Photography, New York, NY
• “Out of Sight” Conference, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL

2006

• The New York Studio Program, New York, NY
• The University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
• New York University, New York NY
• Santa Fe Center for Photography, Santa Fe, NM
• Santa Fe Center for Photography Seminar at Photo LA, Los Angeles, CA

2005

• The Commonwealth Club of California, San Francisco, CA
• Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York
• SPE Northeast Conference, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
• New York University, New York, NY
• California College of the Arts, San Francisco, CA

2004

• Mills College, Oakland, CA
• St. Mary’s College, Moraga, CA