Barbara Earl Thomas
It is the chaos of living and the grief of our time that compels me, philosophically, emotionally, and artistically. I am a witness and a chronicler: I create stories from the apocalypse we live in now and narrate how life goes on in midst of the chaos. A central question drives me: What is our responsibility as humans to each other, especially in times of tragedy, violence, death, natural or human disasters? I credit my Southern parents, who migrated to Washington pre-WWII, for my ability to tell a good story. Dramatic tension helps me draw viewers in, finding their own meanings and connections, as I reference the issues most pressing to our own time—from environmental harm, gun violence, or the continuing needless loss of our young Black men. Sometimes I leave a bit of a fairy tale, or a Bible story, entwined with a current event; all are, at their core, archetypal struggles of tragedy, humor, and violence of our everyday lives.

Lady With Flowers
Paper cut with hand printed color
38.25 x 40 in
97.2 x 101.6 cm
2021

Lady With Flowers

Divine

Cinderella Redressed

Cinderella Redressed Detail

Sweet Prince

Beauty in the Vines

Sonorous

Beauty in Repose

The Transformation Room

The Transformation Room Detail

Delicious

Gentleman

Body Adorned In Color

Royal Blue

The String Man

True North

True North (detail)

Holding Fire 2

Paradise

Color Wheel

On Fire

On Fire (detai)

Grace

Man in Waiting

Boy with Book

Cures and Curses; commissioned by Multnomah County Central Courthouse, Portland, OR.

Cures and Curses; commissioned by Multnomah County Central Courthouse, Portland, OR.

Cures and Curses; commissioned by Multnomah County Central Courthouse, Portland, OR.

Holding Fire

Book of Cures

Man Down

"Man Down" installation detail

Man Down (detail)

Alram

Derailed

FLEE

Crash

Crash (detail)

On The Down Fall

Retake
Barbara Earl Thomas
Lady With Flowers, 2021
Paper cut with hand printed color
38.25 x 40 in
97.2 x 101.6 cm
- Tumblr

Future Perfect
June 24, 2022 to August 13, 2022
Claire Oliver Gallery
View exhibit press release (pdf)
Claire Oliver looks forward to exciting exhibitions in the 2022-23 season in Harlem. Future Perfect features new works by Robert Peterson, Stan Squirewell, Barbara Earl Thoms, Gio Swaby, Adebunmi Gbadebo, and introduces the works of Simone Saunders. Visit the exhibition and see what's coming next.

Current image:
She Reveals
hand-tufted velvet, acrylic and wool yarn on rug warp
2022

Current image:
Divine
Paper cut with hand printed color
2021

Current image:
Crown of Glory
Oil on Canvas
2022

Current image:
KoKo and Tallulah
Photo Collage, Mixed Media, Hand Carved Shou Sugi Ban Frame
2022

Current image:
Seeing You Through Her and Me-Verneisha
cotton fabric and thread sewn on muslin
2022

Current image:
Sweet Prince
Paper cut with hand printed color
2021

Current image:
Worthy
hand-tufted velvet, acrylic and wool yarn on rug warp
2022

Current image:
The Messenger
hand-tufted velvet, acrylic and wool yarn on rug warp
2022

Current image:
Imperishable Crown
Oil on Canvas
2022
UNTITLED ART, Miami Beach 2021
November 29, 2021 to December 4, 2021
Miami Beach, FL
View exhibit press release (pdf)
CLAIRE OLIVER GALLERY IS PLEASED TO PRESENT POINT OF CONTACT, AT UNTITLED MIAMI
The Four Person Exhibition Will Feature New Works by Gallery Artists
Barbara Earl Thomas and Gio Swaby and Debuting Works by Gallery Newcomers Robert Peterson and Stan Squirewell
On View at Untitled Miami, November 29 – December 4, 2021
Point of Contact features the work of four artists whose practices vary but share commonality in their desire to reframe the often politicized Black body. Featuring figuration across mediums including Thomas’s signature polychrome cut paper, Swaby’s thread line
drawings on textile and polychrome quilt portraits, Peterson’s monumental oil on canvases and Squirewell’s mixed media photo collage, each work presents an opportunity for engagement where the art historical “gaze” is reversed and viewers are met as equals. The four artists use their works as a striking rebuke to white supremacy, eschewing negativity, they uplift by depicting their community in beauty, joy, and power as the ultimate form of resistance

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Point Of Contact Installation View
2021

Current image:
Lady With Flowers
Paper cut with hand printed color
2021

Current image:
Point Of Contact Visitors looking at Gio Swaby
2021

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Pretty Pretty 10
cotton fabric and thread sewn on muslin
2021

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Pretty Pretty 10 (detail)
cotton fabric and thread sewn on muslin
2021

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Watch Over Us
Oil on Canvas
2021

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Point Of Contact Visitors looking at Robert Peterson
2021

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Lil Benny
Mixed Media Collage with Carved Shou Sugi Ban Frame
2021

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Lil Benny
Mixed Media Collage with Carved Shou Sugi Ban Frame
2021

Current image:
Point Of Contact Visitors looking at Stan Squirewell
2021

Current image:
Point Of Contact Visitors looking at Robert Peterson
2021

Current image:
You Before Me
Oil on panel
2021

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CRWN
Oil on Canvas
2021

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Love Letter 10
cotton fabric and thread sewn on muslin
2021

Current image:
Easter Sunday
Mixed Media Collage with Carved Shou Sugi Ban Frame
2021

Current image:
Love Letter 8
cotton fabric and thread sewn on muslin
2021

Current image:
All my life
Oil on Canvas
2021

Current image:
Point Of Contact Visitors looking at Stan Squirewell
2021

Current image:
Crystal Mae
Mixed Media Collage with Carved Shou Sugi Ban Frame
2021

Current image:
Point Of Contact Installation View
2021

Current image:
Soufside Louie
Mixed Media Collage with Carved Shou Sugi Ban Frame
2021

Current image:
Soufside Louie
Mixed Media Collage with Carved Shou Sugi Ban Frame
2021

Current image:
Pretty Pretty 11
cotton fabric and thread sewn on muslin
2021

Current image:
Love Letter 9
cotton fabric and thread sewn on muslin
2021

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PrettyPretty12
cotton fabric and thread sewn on muslin
2021

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Bonita Sioux
Mixed Media Collage with Carved Shou Sugi Ban Frame
2021

Current image:
Saintpaulia
Mixed Media Collage with Carved Shou Sugi Ban Frame
2021
Four Now; Leonardo Benzant, Barbara Earl Thomas, Adebunmi Gbadebo & Gio Swaby
December 1, 2020 to January 23, 2021
Claire Oliver Gallery
View exhibit press release (pdf)
Four Now Is A Presentation of The Gallery’s Booth at Untitled Art Fair,
Telegraphing the Excitement of Miami Art Week To Claire Oliver’s Harlem Headquarters
With A Dynamic Program of Virtual Talks

Current image:
That Which Weaves All Of Time Together
upholstery fabric, string, monofilament, leather, gel-medium, acrylic, pony beads, semi-precious stones and seed beads
2020

Current image:
That Which Weaves All Of Time Together (detail)
upholstery fabric, string, monofilament, leather, gel-medium, acrylic, pony beads, semi-precious stones and seed beads
2020

Current image:
Four Now
Exhibition Installation Photograph
2020

Current image:
Holding Fire 2
cut Tyvek and hand-rolled lithograph
2020

Current image:
Holding Fire 2 (detail)
cut Tyvek and hand-rolled lithograph
2020

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Four Now
Exhibition Installation Photograph
2020

Current image:
Production 1
Human Black Hair, Cotton, Rice Paper, Denim, Indigo, Hair Dye, Silk Screen Print
2020

Current image:
Production 1 (detail)
Human Black Hair, Cotton, Rice Paper, Denim, Indigo, Hair Dye, Silk Screen Print
2020

Current image:
Pretty Pretty 3
thread and fabric sewn on canvas
2020

Current image:
Pretty Pretty 3 (detail)
thread and fabric sewn on canvas
2020

Current image:
That Which Weaves All Of Time Together
upholstery fabric, string, monofilament, leather, gel-medium, acrylic, pony beads, semi-precious stones and seed beads
2020

Current image:
On Fire
cut Tyvek and hand-rolled lithograph
2020

Current image:
A Dilemma of Inheritance: pages 7-15-10
Human Black Hair, Cotton, Rice Paper, Denim, Indigo, Hair Dye, Silk Screen Print
2020

Current image:
Pretty Pretty 4
thread and fabric sewn on canvas
2020
PULSE Miami Beach
December 6, 2018 to December 9, 2018
Indian Beach Park, Miami Beach FL
View exhibit press release (pdf)
Claire Oliver Gallery, New York is proud to present
Impatient Obsessions: a three-person curated exhibition
featuring work by Barbara Earl Thomas, Bisa Butler, and Leonardo Benzant.
It makes no difference to the blackbird if he eats from our table or scavenges from our discarded piles. The future of his kind may not be altered. But that is not our fate. We’ve inherited the burden of knowledge and the grief of failed intention. We are not born blind, but we can choose to live that way. -- Barbara Earl Thomas

Current image:
works on view, "Impatient Obsessions"
quilted and appliquéd cotton, wool and chiffon
2018

Current image:
Perez Art Museum Miami Pick - "The Safety Patrol"
quilted and appliquéd cotton, wool and chiffon
2018

Current image:
works on view, "Impatient Obsessions"
caucasian mannequin head, fabric/clothes, string, glitter, acrylic, gel-medium, monofilament, leather, glass seed beads and miscellaneous
2018

Current image:
works on view, "Impatient Obsessions"
PULSE Miami 2018
2018

Current image:
Collector House Interview
PULSE Miami 2018

Current image:
works on view, "Impatient Obsessions"
PULSE Miami 2018
2018

Current image:
works on view, "Impatient Obsessions"
quilted and appliquéd cotton, wool and chiffon
2018

Current image:
works on view, "Impatient Obsessions"
black Tyvek over white Tyvek
2017

Current image:
Trapped
Mouth Blown and Sandblasted Glass
2017

Current image:
works on view, "Impatient Obsessions"
PULSE Miami 2018
2018

Current image:
The Safety Patrol
quilted and appliquéd cotton, wool and chiffon
2018

Current image:
Derailed
cut Tyvek and hand-rolled lithograph
2018

Current image:
Rendezvous At The Crossroads
colored-pencil, powdered-charcoal, and acrylic on canvas
2018

Current image:
Three Kings
quilted and appliquéd cotton, wool and chiffon
2018

Current image:
Bambula
caucasian mannequin head, fabric/clothes, string, glitter, acrylic, gel-medium, monofilament, leather, glass seed beads and miscellaneous
2018

Current image:
The Mighty Gents
quilted and appliquéd cotton, wool and chiffon
2018

Current image:
El Caminante (The Walker)
powdered-charcoal, acrylic on wood panel
2018

Current image:
Storm Eater
Mouth Blown and Sandblasted Glass
2018

Current image:
Kangol Kid
powdered-charcoal, acrylic on wood panel
2018

Current image:
Yaya (Mothers and Grandmothers)
fabric, string, monofilament, acrylic, glass seed beads and miscellaneous
2018

Current image:
FLEE
cut Tyvek and hand-rolled lithograph
2018

Current image:
Los Tigueres Y Los Muertos
colored-pencil, ground coffee, and acrylic on canvas
20`18

Current image:
Head In The Clouds
Cut Tyvek and Rag Construction Paper
2018

Current image:
The Act Of Repurposing Western Artifacts
caucasian baby doll, fabric, string, ground coffee, vija, rabbit skin glue, oil, glass seed beads and miscellaneous
2018

Current image:
Mannish Boy
work in progress, studio photo
2018

Current image:
Mannish Boy (detail)
work in progress, studio photo
2018

Current image:
Moyo Of The Seer
fabric, string, monofilament, acrylic, glass seed beads and miscellaneous
2018
Shattered @ EXPO Chicago 2018
September 27, 2018 to September 30, 2018
Navy Pier, Chicago IL
View exhibit press release (pdf)
At EXPO Chicago 2018, Claire Oliver Gallery presented a two-person curated exhibition of new works of art by Barbara Earl Thomas and Bisa Butler entitled "Shattered". One definition of this word is disillusioned. The definition of disillusion is to be free of illusion; the works in this installation speak to the possibilities that are in front of us as a society if we can become empowered by understanding that which holds us captive and dismiss these delusions that serve to comfort us in a time to come. Shattered also connotes fragmented. The works of Butler and Earl Thomas use small fragments of disparate materials which they bring together in a way that speaks to a greater whole.

Current image:
works by Barbara Earl Thomas and Bisa Butler on view
Expo Chicago 2018
2018

Current image:
works by Barbara Earl Thomas and Bisa Butler on view
Expo Chicago 2018

Current image:
Bisa Butler discusses her work with collector Audry Casusol
2018

Current image:
Barbara Earl Thomas stands within her work "Man Down"
2018

Current image:
works by Barbara Earl Thomas and Bisa Butler on view

Current image:
Southside Sunday Morning
cotton and silk
2018

Current image:
Man Down
Expo Chicago 2018
2018

Current image:
"Man Down" installation detail
Expo Chicago 2018
2018

Current image:
The Tea
cotton, silk and lace netting
2018

Current image:
On The Down Fall
cut Tyvek and hand-rolled lithograph
2018

Current image:
The Princess
cotton, silk chiffon, satin, silk and lace
2018

Current image:
Derailed
cut Tyvek and hand-rolled lithograph
2018

Current image:
Survivor
denim, cotton and mudcloth
2018

Current image:
Power Down
Cut Tyvek
2018

Current image:
Black Star Family, first class tickets to Liberia
cotton, silk chiffon, satin, silk and lace
2018
Chicago Expo 2017
September 13, 2017 to September 17, 2017
Navy Pier, Chicago IL
View exhibit press release (pdf)
It is with great pleasure that Claire Oliver Gallery returns to Navy Pier for EXPO Chicago 2017. This year the gallery has selected new works by two of our artists who are exploring extremely topical and poignant subject matter.

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Chicago Expo
Installation view
2017

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Chicago Expo
Installation view
2017

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The Golden Age
Cut Magazine Clippings on Canvas
2017

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Chicago Expo
Installation view
2017

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Chicago Expo
Installation view
2017

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Lake House #5
Collage, printed matter and Ink on canvas
2015

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Retake
Cut Tyvek and Rag Construction Paper
2017

Current image:
Chicago Expo
Installation view
2017

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Goo Times Girl
Cut Magazine Clippings on Canvas
2017

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Chicago Expo
Installation view
2017

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Figurers in a Martix
Cut Tyvek
2017

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Follow
Cut Magazine Clippings on Canvas
2015

Current image:
Chicago Expo
Installation view
2017

Current image:
Next
Cut Magazine Clippings on Canvas
2017
Barbara Earl Thomas: The Blood Catcher and Other Stories
March 2, 2017 to April 9, 2017
Claire Oliver Gallery
View exhibit press release (pdf)
In Barbara Earl Thomas’ works of art, we are treated to a chaotic dream world, cross pollinated with fragments of bible stories, folklore and superstition brought forth from the artist’s ‘deep south’ childhood. Her personal history and current social narrative harmoniously coexist in these visual anthologies; there is never a single thread of delineation for the artist, as there a proliferation of concurrence in the world we all inhabit together. As Thomas’s grandmother often told her, we are all damned and redeemed every day. “Even if we cannot see it, there are amazing things going on around us at every moment” she says.

Current image:
The Blood Catcher and Other Stories
Exhibition Installation Photograph
2017

Current image:
Retake
Cut Tyvek and Rag Construction Paper
2017

Current image:
The Blood Catcher and Other Stories
Exhibition Installation Photograph
2017

Current image:
Snake In The Grass
Mouth Blown and Sandblasted Glass
2016

Current image:
The Blood Catcher and Other Stories
Exhibition Installation Photograph
2017

Current image:
The Blood Catcher and Other Stories
Exhibition Installation Photograph
2017

Current image:
Figures in a Matrix
Cut Tyvek
2017

Current image:
Barbara Earl Thomas at Work
Exhibition Installation Photograph
2017

Current image:
Figures in the Matrix
Cut Tyvek
2017
She Reveals
hand-tufted velvet, acrylic and wool yarn on rug warp
60 x 65 x 1 in | 152.4 x 165.1 x 2.5 cm
2022

Divine
Paper cut with hand printed color
26 x 40 in | 66.0 x 101.6 cm
2021

Crown of Glory
Oil on Canvas
24 x 30 x 1 in | 61.0 x 76.2 x 2.5 cm
2022

KoKo and Tallulah
Photo Collage, Mixed Media, Hand Carved Shou Sugi Ban Frame
50 x 69 x 3 in | 127.0 x 175.3 x 7.6 cm
2022

Seeing You Through Her and Me-Verneisha
cotton fabric and thread sewn on muslin
78 x 62 x 2 in | 198.1 x 157.5 x 5.1 cm
2022

Sweet Prince
Paper cut with hand printed color
26 x 50 in | 66.0 x 127.0 cm
2021

Worthy
hand-tufted velvet, acrylic and wool yarn on rug warp
65 x 64 x 1 in | 165.1 x 162.6 x 2.5 cm
2022

The Messenger
hand-tufted velvet, acrylic and wool yarn on rug warp
62 x 64 x 1 in | 157.5 x 162.6 x 2.5 cm
2022

Imperishable Crown
Oil on Canvas
24 x 30 x 1 in | 61.0 x 76.2 x 2.5 cm
2022

Point Of Contact Installation View

Lady With Flowers
Paper cut with hand printed color
38.25 x 40 in | 97.2 x 101.6 cm
2021

Point Of Contact Visitors looking at Gio Swaby

Pretty Pretty 10
cotton fabric and thread sewn on muslin
38 x 84 x 2 in | 96.5 x 213.4 x 5.1 cm
2021

Pretty Pretty 10 (detail)
cotton fabric and thread sewn on muslin
38 x 84 x 2 in | 96.5 x 213.4 x 5.1 cm
2021

Watch Over Us
Oil on Canvas
114 x 60 x 2 in | 289.6 x 152.4 x 5.1 cm
2021

Point Of Contact Visitors looking at Robert Peterson

Lil Benny
Mixed Media Collage with Carved Shou Sugi Ban Frame
30.75 x 54 x 3 in | 78.1 x 137.2 x 7.6 cm
2021

Lil Benny
Mixed Media Collage with Carved Shou Sugi Ban Frame
30.5 x 54 x 3 in | 77.5 x 137.2 x 7.6 cm
2021

Point Of Contact Visitors looking at Stan Squirewell

Point Of Contact Visitors looking at Robert Peterson

You Before Me
Oil on panel
36 x 60 x 2 in | 91.4 x 152.4 x 5.1 cm
2021

CRWN
Oil on Canvas
18 x 24 x 2 in | 45.7 x 61.0 x 5.1 cm
2021

Love Letter 10
cotton fabric and thread sewn on muslin
38 x 84 x 2 in | 96.5 x 213.4 x 5.1 cm
2021

Easter Sunday
Mixed Media Collage with Carved Shou Sugi Ban Frame
45 x 51.5 x 3 in | 114.3 x 130.8 x 7.6 cm
2021

Love Letter 8
cotton fabric and thread sewn on muslin
38 x 84 x 2 in | 96.5 x 213.4 x 5.1 cm
2021

All my life
Oil on Canvas
72 x 48 x 2 in | 182.9 x 121.9 x 5.1 cm
2021

Point Of Contact Visitors looking at Stan Squirewell

Crystal Mae
Mixed Media Collage with Carved Shou Sugi Ban Frame
20.25 x 25.5 x 3 in | 51.4 x 64.8 x 7.6 cm
2021

Point Of Contact Installation View

Soufside Louie
Mixed Media Collage with Carved Shou Sugi Ban Frame
16.5 x 18.5 x 3 in | 41.9 x 47.0 x 7.6 cm
2021

Soufside Louie
Mixed Media Collage with Carved Shou Sugi Ban Frame
16.5 x 18.5 x 3 in | 41.9 x 47.0 x 7.6 cm
2021

Pretty Pretty 11
cotton fabric and thread sewn on muslin
38 x 84 x 2 in | 96.5 x 213.4 x 5.1 cm
2021

Love Letter 9
cotton fabric and thread sewn on muslin
38 x 84 x 2 in | 96.5 x 213.4 x 5.1 cm
2021

PrettyPretty12
cotton fabric and thread sewn on muslin
38 x 84 x 2 in | 96.5 x 213.4 x 5.1 cm
2021

Bonita Sioux
Mixed Media Collage with Carved Shou Sugi Ban Frame
20.5 x 25.5 x 3 in | 52.1 x 64.8 x 7.6 cm
2021

Saintpaulia
Mixed Media Collage with Carved Shou Sugi Ban Frame
23 x 19 x 3 in | 58.4 x 48.3 x 7.6 cm
2021

That Which Weaves All Of Time Together
upholstery fabric, string, monofilament, leather, gel-medium, acrylic, pony beads, semi-precious stones and seed beads
40 x 150 x 15 in | 101.6 x 381.0 x 38.1 cm
2020

That Which Weaves All Of Time Together (detail)
upholstery fabric, string, monofilament, leather, gel-medium, acrylic, pony beads, semi-precious stones and seed beads
40 x 150 x 15 in | 101.6 x 381.0 x 38.1 cm
2020

Four Now
Exhibition Installation Photograph

Holding Fire 2
cut Tyvek and hand-rolled lithograph
26 x 40 x 1 in | 66.0 x 101.6 x 2.5 cm
2020

Holding Fire 2 (detail)
cut Tyvek and hand-rolled lithograph
26 x 40 x 1 in | 66.0 x 101.6 x 2.5 cm
2020

Four Now
Exhibition Installation Photograph

Production 1
Human Black Hair, Cotton, Rice Paper, Denim, Indigo, Hair Dye, Silk Screen Print
36 x 84 x 3 in | 91.4 x 213.4 x 7.6 cm
2020

Production 1 (detail)
Human Black Hair, Cotton, Rice Paper, Denim, Indigo, Hair Dye, Silk Screen Print
36 x 84 x 3 in | 91.4 x 213.4 x 7.6 cm
2020

Pretty Pretty 3
thread and fabric sewn on canvas
36 x 84 x 1 in | 91.4 x 213.4 x 2.5 cm
2020

Pretty Pretty 3 (detail)
thread and fabric sewn on canvas
36 x 84 x 1 in | 91.4 x 213.4 x 2.5 cm
2020

That Which Weaves All Of Time Together
upholstery fabric, string, monofilament, leather, gel-medium, acrylic, pony beads, semi-precious stones and seed beads
40 x 150 x 14 in | 101.6 x 381.0 x 35.6 cm
2020

On Fire
cut Tyvek and hand-rolled lithograph
26 x 40 x 1 in | 66.0 x 101.6 x 2.5 cm
2020

A Dilemma of Inheritance: pages 7-15-10
Human Black Hair, Cotton, Rice Paper, Denim, Indigo, Hair Dye, Silk Screen Print
77 x 30 x 1 in | 195.6 x 76.2 x 2.5 cm
2020

Pretty Pretty 4
thread and fabric sewn on canvas
36 x 84 x 1 in | 91.4 x 213.4 x 2.5 cm
2020

works on view, "Impatient Obsessions"
quilted and appliquéd cotton, wool and chiffon

Perez Art Museum Miami Pick - "The Safety Patrol"
quilted and appliquéd cotton, wool and chiffon
90 x 82 in | 228.6 x 208.3 cm
2018

works on view, "Impatient Obsessions"
caucasian mannequin head, fabric/clothes, string, glitter, acrylic, gel-medium, monofilament, leather, glass seed beads and miscellaneous

works on view, "Impatient Obsessions"
PULSE Miami 2018

Collector House Interview
PULSE Miami 2018

works on view, "Impatient Obsessions"
PULSE Miami 2018

works on view, "Impatient Obsessions"
quilted and appliquéd cotton, wool and chiffon

works on view, "Impatient Obsessions"
black Tyvek over white Tyvek
68 x 36 in | 172.7 x 91.4 cm
2017

Trapped
Mouth Blown and Sandblasted Glass
8 x 16 x 8 in | 20.3 x 40.6 x 20.3 cm
2017

works on view, "Impatient Obsessions"
PULSE Miami 2018

The Safety Patrol
quilted and appliquéd cotton, wool and chiffon
90 x 82 in | 228.6 x 208.3 cm
2018

Derailed
cut Tyvek and hand-rolled lithograph
48 x 36 in | 121.9 x 91.4 cm
2018

Rendezvous At The Crossroads
colored-pencil, powdered-charcoal, and acrylic on canvas
60 x 72 in | 152.4 x 182.9 cm
2018

Three Kings
quilted and appliquéd cotton, wool and chiffon
95 x 72 in | 241.3 x 182.9 cm
2018

Bambula
caucasian mannequin head, fabric/clothes, string, glitter, acrylic, gel-medium, monofilament, leather, glass seed beads and miscellaneous
17 x 96 x 14 in | 43.2 x 243.8 x 35.6 cm
2018

The Mighty Gents
quilted and appliquéd cotton, wool and chiffon
67 x 78 in | 170.2 x 198.1 cm
2018

El Caminante (The Walker)
powdered-charcoal, acrylic on wood panel
48 x 60 in | 121.9 x 152.4 cm
2018

Storm Eater
Mouth Blown and Sandblasted Glass
11 x 8 x 11 in | 27.9 x 20.3 x 27.9 cm
2018

Kangol Kid
powdered-charcoal, acrylic on wood panel
48 x 60 in | 121.9 x 152.4 cm
2018

Yaya (Mothers and Grandmothers)
fabric, string, monofilament, acrylic, glass seed beads and miscellaneous
8 x 72 x 5 in | 20.3 x 182.9 x 12.7 cm
2018

FLEE
cut Tyvek and hand-rolled lithograph
35 x 35 in | 88.9 x 88.9 cm
2018

Los Tigueres Y Los Muertos
colored-pencil, ground coffee, and acrylic on canvas
60 x 72 in | 152.4 x 182.9 cm
20`18

Head In The Clouds
Cut Tyvek and Rag Construction Paper
-624 x 36 in | -1585.0 x 91.4 cm
2018

The Act Of Repurposing Western Artifacts
caucasian baby doll, fabric, string, ground coffee, vija, rabbit skin glue, oil, glass seed beads and miscellaneous
7 x 60 x 6 in | 17.8 x 152.4 x 15.2 cm
2018

Mannish Boy
work in progress, studio photo
39 x 54 in | 99.1 x 137.2 cm
2018

Mannish Boy (detail)
work in progress, studio photo
39 x 54 in | 99.1 x 137.2 cm
2018

Moyo Of The Seer
fabric, string, monofilament, acrylic, glass seed beads and miscellaneous
10 x 47 x 7 in | 25.4 x 119.4 x 17.8 cm
2018

works by Barbara Earl Thomas and Bisa Butler on view
Expo Chicago 2018

works by Barbara Earl Thomas and Bisa Butler on view
Expo Chicago 2018

Bisa Butler discusses her work with collector Audry Casusol
79 x 85 in | 200.7 x 215.9 cm
2018

Barbara Earl Thomas stands within her work "Man Down"
72 x 144 x 48 in | 182.9 x 365.8 x 121.9 cm
2018

works by Barbara Earl Thomas and Bisa Butler on view

Southside Sunday Morning
cotton and silk
109 x 73 in | 276.9 x 185.4 cm
2018

Man Down
Expo Chicago 2018
72 x 144 x 48 in | 182.9 x 365.8 x 121.9 cm
2018

"Man Down" installation detail
Expo Chicago 2018
72 x 144 x 48 in | 182.9 x 365.8 x 121.9 cm
2018

The Tea
cotton, silk and lace netting
54 x 80 in | 137.2 x 203.2 cm
2018

On The Down Fall
cut Tyvek and hand-rolled lithograph
48 x 36 in | 121.9 x 91.4 cm
2018

The Princess
cotton, silk chiffon, satin, silk and lace
46 x 70 in | 116.8 x 177.8 cm
2018

Derailed
cut Tyvek and hand-rolled lithograph
48 x 36 in | 121.9 x 91.4 cm
2018

Survivor
denim, cotton and mudcloth
81 x 48 in | 205.7 x 121.9 cm
2018

Power Down
Cut Tyvek
36 x 68 x 1 in | 91.4 x 172.7 x 2.5 cm
2018

Black Star Family, first class tickets to Liberia
cotton, silk chiffon, satin, silk and lace
79 x 85 in | 200.7 x 215.9 cm
2018

Chicago Expo
Installation view

Chicago Expo
Installation view

The Golden Age
Cut Magazine Clippings on Canvas
55 x 65 x 2 in | 139.7 x 165.1 x 5.1 cm
2017

Chicago Expo
Installation view

Chicago Expo
Installation view

Lake House #5
Collage, printed matter and Ink on canvas
39 x 31 x 2 in | 99.1 x 78.7 x 5.1 cm
2015

Retake
Cut Tyvek and Rag Construction Paper
60 x 40 x 1 in | 152.4 x 101.6 x 2.5 cm
2017

Chicago Expo
Installation view

Goo Times Girl
Cut Magazine Clippings on Canvas
51 x 60 x 2 in | 129.5 x 152.4 x 5.1 cm
2017

Chicago Expo
Installation view

Figurers in a Martix
Cut Tyvek
4 x 144 x 2 in | 10.2 x 365.8 x 5.1 cm
2017

Follow
Cut Magazine Clippings on Canvas
63 x 75 x 2 in | 160.0 x 190.5 x 5.1 cm
2015

Chicago Expo
Installation view

Next
Cut Magazine Clippings on Canvas
60 x 65 x 2 in | 152.4 x 165.1 x 5.1 cm
2017

The Blood Catcher and Other Stories
Exhibition Installation Photograph

Retake
Cut Tyvek and Rag Construction Paper
60 x 40 x 1 in | 152.4 x 101.6 x 2.5 cm
2017

The Blood Catcher and Other Stories
Exhibition Installation Photograph

Snake In The Grass
Mouth Blown and Sandblasted Glass
6 x 14 x 6 in | 15.2 x 35.6 x 15.2 cm
2016

The Blood Catcher and Other Stories
Exhibition Installation Photograph

The Blood Catcher and Other Stories
Exhibition Installation Photograph

Figures in a Matrix
Cut Tyvek
120 x 168 x 6 in | 304.8 x 426.7 x 15.2 cm
2017

Barbara Earl Thomas at Work
Exhibition Installation Photograph

Figures in the Matrix
Cut Tyvek
120 x 168 x 6 in | 304.8 x 426.7 x 15.2 cm
2017

Awards and Honors:
- Grace Hopper Outstanding Achievement Award, 2018
- Seattle Magazine‘s Hall of Fame, Arts and Culture, Seattle, WA, 2016
- Governor’s Arts and Heritage Award, Individual Artist Award,
Washington State, 2016 - Stranger Genius Award in Art, Seattle, WA, 2016
- The Irving and Yvonne Twining Humber Award, Artist Trust, Seattle, WA, 2016
- Women’s University Club, Brava Award—for exceptional achievements, 2016
- Artist in Residence, Pilchuck School, Stanwood, WA, 2015
- Artist in Residence, Museum of Glass, Tacoma, WA, 2014
- Artist in Residence, Goathead Press, Tieton, WA, 2014
- Mayor’s Arts Award, Office of Arts and Culture, Seattle, WA, 2013
- Hauberg Fellowship, Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, WA, 2009
- Neddy Award Nominee, The Behnke Foundation, Seattle, WA, 2006
- Poster Design Award, Bumbershoot, A Seattle Arts Festival, Seattle, WA, 2003
- Visual Arts Honors Program, Seattle Collects, Award, Seattle Arts Commission, Seattle WA, 2002
- Jack Straw Writer’s Award, Seattle, WA, 2002
- Seattle Artist Writer’s Award, Seattle Arts Commission, Seattle WA, 2001
- Hedgebrook Writer’s Residency Retreat, Whidbey, WA, 1999
- Seattle Artist Writer’s Award, Seattle Arts Commission, Seattle WA, 1998
- Neddy Award Nominee, The Behnke Foundation, Seattle, WA, 1998
- Artist Trust Tenth Anniversary Presidents’ Award, Seattle, WA, 1997
Collections:
- 21c Museum, Louisville, KY
- Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA
- Sound Transit Authority, Seattle, WA
- 4 Culture percent art collection – Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA
- Sound Transit Authority, Seattle, WA
- City of Seattle 1% Collection, Seattle, WA
- Junior League of Seattle, Seattle, WA
- The Henry Art Gallery, Seattle, WA
- King County Arts Commission 1% Collection, Seattle, WA
- Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA
- Seattle First National Bank, Seattle, WA
- Safeco Corporate Collection, Seattle, WA
- Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA
- University Medical Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
- Walker Richer & Quinn Inc, Seattle, WA
- Washington State Arts Commission, Cedar Heights Junior High, Kent School District, Kent, WA
- Western Washington State University, Bellingham, WA
Public Art Installations:
- King County Metro Transit 1-90 Judkins Link Light Rail Station, Seattle WA, 2020
- Multnomah County Central Courthouse, Portland, OR, 2018
- Boulevard Park Library, Burien, WA, 2018
- Sound Transit, I-90 Portal, 2015
- Story Stones, Portage Bay Park, Seattle, WA, 2011
- The Story House, Evergreen State College, Washington State Arts Commission, Olympia, WA, 2009
- Electric Raven, Walden Triangle, Sound Transit, Seattle, WA, 2008
- Art in Public Places – Raven Shouts Water, Seattle, WA, 2007
Selected Solo Exhibitions:
- Barbara Earl Thomas New Works, Seattle Art Museum, 2020
- The Blood Catcher and Other Stories, Claire Oliver Gallery, NY, 2017
- Heaven on Fire, Bainbridge Island Art Museum, Bainbridge Island, WA, 2016
- Story Line, Prints 2006-2013, Paper Hammer, Seattle, WA, 2013
- Big Fish, The Meadows Museum, Shreveport, Louisiana, 2005
- Elements, Evansville Museum of Arts and Science, Evansville, IN, 2005
- Last Seen: Altar of Memory, an installation, Edmonds Community College Gallery, Edmonds, WA, 2005
- A Fire in the Landscape, Francine Seders Gallery, Seattle, WA, 2003
- Northwest Traditions, Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA, 2003
- In Fire and Water, Francine Seders Gallery, Seattle, WA, 1998
- Barbara Earl Thomas: An Exhibition, Olympic College Art Gallery, Bremerton, WA, 1997
- The Book of Telling, Francine Seders Gallery, Seattle, WA, 1995
- The Fallen House, Whatcom Museum of History and Art, Bellingham, WA, 1994
- Requiem for a Tilted World, Francine Seders Gallery, Seattle, WA, 1990
- Talking Back to the Storm: New Figurative Work by Barbara Thomas, Mitchell Museum, Mt. Vernon, IL, 1990
- Art Gym: Gallery 2, Marylhurst College, Marylhurst, OR, 1989
- Sheehan Gallery, Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA, 1985
- Recent Work, Francine Seders Gallery, Seattle, WA, 1984
- Executive Office Gallery, King County Courthouse, Seattle, 1984
- Art Center Gallery, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA, 1983
Selected Two-Person Exhibitions:
- with Derrick Adams, The Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle WA, 2020
- Expo Chicago with Bisa Butler, Claire Oliver Gallery, Chicago IL, 2018
- Expo Chicago with Gabi Trinkaus, Claire Oliver Gallery, Chicago IL, 2017
Selected Group Exhibitions:
- PULSE Miami with Bisa Butler and Leonardo Benzant, Claire Oliver Gallery, 2018
- Jacob Lawrence: Lines of Influence, SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah GA, 2017
- Out of Sight, A survey of contemporary art in the Pacific Northwest, Seattle WA, 2015
- Stereotype, Northwest African American Museum, Seattle WA, 2015
- Good Neighbor, Seattle University, Seattle WA, 2015
- Ink This, Contemporary Prints in the Northwest, Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma WA, 2014
- Inner Portraits, Bainbridge Island Art Museum, Bainbridge Is., WA, 2014
- Best of the Northwest, Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA, 2013
- Safeco Collection, The Wright Space, Seattle, WA, 2010
- Northwest Women Artists 1880-2010, Whatcom Museum of History and Art, Bellingham, WA, 2010
- A Concise History of Northwest Art, Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA, 2009
- What is Black? , Seattle Art Museum, 2009
- Building Community: Truth & Reconciliation, A Work-in-Progress Part II, Patricia Wismer Women’s Center, Seattle University, 2000
- Drawing Revisited, Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA, 1999
- Memory & Mourning: American Expressions of Grief, Washington State History Museum, Tacoma, WA, 1999
- Civil Progress: Life in Black America, Greg Kucera Gallery, Seattle, WA, 1999
- The Narrative Impulse: Visual Storytelling, Rental Sales Gallery, Seattle Art Museum, 1996
- Wings, Rental Sales Gallery, Seattle Art Museum, 1995
- Washington: 100 Years, 100 Paintings, Bellevue Arts Museum, Bellevue, WA, 1995
- Art Works for AIDS, Seattle Center Pavilion, (also 1990), 1995
- A Matter of Colors III, The African Connection, Pacific Arts Center, Seattle Center, 1994
- The Northwest Art Collection of the Junior League of Seattle, Kinsey Gallery, Seattle University, 1994
- The Art of Microsoft, Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle, 1993
- XX: An Exhibition on the Occasion of the Women’s Caucus for Art National Conference, Francine Seders Gallery II, Seattle, WA, 1993
- Documents Northwest, The PONCHO Series: 1492/1992, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA, 1992
- Please and Thank Yous: 100 True Stories/Collaborators, Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA, 1991
- 25th Anniversary Exhibitions: The Middle Years II 1981-1983, Francine Seders Gallery, Seattle, 1991
- Washington to Washington: Women in Art Today, Washington State Museum of Art, Pullman, WA; the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C.; and The Nordic Heritage Museum, Seattle, WA, 1989
- Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, OR, 1989
- School of Art 1975-1988, Safeco Corporation, Seattle, WA, 1988
- Northwest ’87, Seattle Art Museum, 1987
- Aesthetics of the American Northwest, The Evans‑Tibbs Collection, Washington, D.C., 1987
- Masks: A Contemporary Perspective, Whatcom Museum of History and Art, Bellingham, WA, 1987
- Poetry in Art, Francine Seders Gallery, Seattle, WA, 1986
- Figure: Narrative, Whatcom Museum of History and Art, Bellingham, WA, 1986
- Seattle Painting 1925‑1985, Bumberbiennale, Seattle, WA, 1985

Lady With Flowers
Paper cut with hand printed color
38.25 x 40 in
97.2 x 101.6 cm
2021
Download Biography

Press
Derrick Adams and Barbara Earl Thomas highlight Black joy and aesthetics in Henry Art Gallery’s ‘Packaged Black’
The Seattle Times
October 14, 2021

Press
A gown of paper and room of light dazzle visitors to this Seattle gallery
K5 Seattle
January 12, 2022

Press
Harlem’s Trailblazing Claire Oliver Gallery Premieres At Untitled Miami 2021
harlem world
November 23, 2021

Press
No-go to Van Gogh? Check out these 3 immersive options in Seattle
Crosscut News
October 18, 2021

Press
Artist Barbara Earl Thomas talks about her steel murals for Multnomah County’s Central Courthouse
Multnomah County News
October 6, 2021

Press
ArtSci Roundup: Henry Art Gallery Public Opening, Dawg Daze, and More – Washington, District of Columbia
Eminetra News
September 22, 2021

Press
Exciting new art exhibitions are coming to the Seattle area in fall 2021. Here’s what to see
The Seattle Times
September 15, 2021

Museum & Institutional News
Packaged Black: Derrick Adams and Barbara Earl Thomas
Henry Art Gallery
October 2, 2021 - May 1, 2022

Press
Between Fragility and Strength: Barbara Earl Thomas Interviewed by Emily Zimmerman
BOMB magazine
April 8, 2021

Press
Barbara Earl Thomas’ ‘The Geography of Innocence’ exhibit at SAM invites transformation
The Seattle Times
March 27, 2021

Press
The Illuminating Work Of Barbara Earl Thomas Is Finally In Display At The Seattle Art Museum
The Seattle Medium
March 1, 2021

Press
Another Covid shutdown delays museum show, but doesn’t stop this Seattle artist
KUOW
November 17, 2020

Press
‘The Geography of Innocence’: Barbara Earl Thomas’ upcoming show at SAM
The Daily
September 28, 2020

Press
Barbara Earl Thomas Traverses the Geography of Innocence
South Seattle Emerald
September 11, 2020

Press
New Hopper College dining hall windows to confront past, celebrate change
YALE news
July 28, 2020

Press
Yale Commissions Black Artist for Work Confronting College’s Past
The Wall Street Journal
July 28, 2020

Museum & Institutional News
Barbara Earl Thomas: The Geography of Innocence
Seattle Art Museum
November 14, 2020 - June 13, 2019

Press
Claire Oliver Gallery: Advancing Artistic Careers
Vulcan Productions for Seattle Art Fair
July 16, 2018

Press
Bainbridge Island Museum of Art Displays New Solo Exhibition
Seattle Magazine
September 16, 2016

Museum & Institutional News
JACOB LAWRENCE Lines of Influence
SCAD Museum of Art
September 7, 2017 - February 4, 2018

Press
The SCAD Museum of Art Celebrates the Legacy of Jacob Lawrence
HYPERALLERGIC
September 29, 2017

Press
Barbara Earl Thomas Receives 2016 Irving And Yvonne Twining Humber Award
The Seattle Medium
June 3, 2016

Museum & Institutional News
Heaven On Fire
Bainbridge Island Museum of Art
June 25, 2016 - October 2, 2016
Press
Barbara Earl Thomas retrospective looks back at 30 years of artist’s inventive works
The Seattle Times
July 6, 2016