Detroit Highlight: Rachel Elise Thomas

Detroit Highlight: Rachel Elise Thomas by Sierra R. AguilarJune 16, 2025

In June of 1993, my family and I moved from our home on the prominent of Detroit, to the sprawling, spacious suburbs of Southfield. A location where mid-century modern homes are dominant, and where the Black residents would eventually become the dominant percentage as well. Over the years, our family home became the source of many celebrations, laughter, sibling rivalry, disagreements, and a place of mourning. A myriad of emotions attached to complicated memories of the past–which inspired me to create this series titled, “Crowded House”. Crowded with memories that perpetually overlap, which have often taken place in the same rooms, under the same roof, at my family home of 29 years. For this project, I’ve used a digital camera to document, and a digital projector to display the pictures that were taken of me and my family from over the years, in the areas of my home where the pictures were initially taken. “Crowded House” is a visual continuation where I’m documenting and preserving my family history in a home where I’ve lived at for most of my life. This project is giving these forgotten images a new existence, because for so long, me and my family have archived images in various photo albums and photo boxes, but unfortunately, they become forgotten. This series serves as a duality of existence–that there is a continuum in these spaces, which also, challenges stereotypes about the Black experience–especially my experience of growing up in the suburbs of Southfield, Michigan in Metro Detroit. As I continue to work on this project, I’ve realized that placement is habitual. Like the piano that sits in the living room, and the wood paneling that has lined the family room for several years, while everything around us changes, there are certain aspects of ourselves that remain unmoved/unchanged.

© Rachel Elise Thomas, All in the Family (Crowded House), 2022. From Thomas: The projected image that was initially taken in the family room is special to me because it is the only image that exists with (from left to right), my dad, great-grandmother, uncle, and myself in it. Interestingly, the framed hieroglyph artwork that hangs over the couch had been in the same place for over thirty years.

Detroit is vivacious.

Alive with color, empathy, and tenacious nature. A place of constant evolution and endurance. As the automotive capital of the world, it can be easy to overlook the artistic legacy of Detroit artists and their contributions to contemporary and historical art. However, unique to the Michigan city, are artists of immense photographic caliber. Lens-based artists are exploring materiality, color, and the experimental variables of nature in relation to the city and its status. They are the key documentarians to evolution, growth, and historical changes to the community and the people who shape it. Photographing your way through the city, you are immersed into a multitude of cultures and perspectives, a vast range of landscapes and demographics, and a neighborhood of people who push past the stereotypes, into a new world of possibility.

As a love letter to my city, I’ve connected with three local photographers who are visually imperative to the discussion of materiality, color and experimental approaches in relation to photography.

In discussing the complexities of materiality, we are delving into the work of Rachel Elise Thomas.

© Rachel Elise Thomas, Dear Mama (Crowed House), 2022. From Thomas: As I worked on this project, I noticed that there aren’t as many pictures taken of my mom as there was the rest of my nuclear family. She was the one that was usually behind the camera, taking the pictures–selflessly absent–behind the scenes preparing meals, orchestrating, organizing–doing whatever she could for the family. In many ways, we owe a lot of our fond memories and the documentation of them over the years to her.

© Rachel Elise Thomas, Good Times (Crowded House), 2022. From Thomas: My dad, big sister, and great-grandmother photographed in the family room during our New Year’s Eve party in ‘93/’94. Sitting on an identical recliner, in the same spot over 30 years ago.

Rachel Elise Thomas (b. 1988) — originally from Detroit and primarily raised in predominantly Black suburbs of Southfield, MI — significantly shaped and broadened their perspectives regarding space, location, and community. This influence has impacted how they create and think about art—appreciating what different environments can offer while also recognizing the importance of finding harmony between them.

In 2019, Thomas received their BFA in Photography from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, MI. In 2024, Thomas earned their MFA from the Cranbrook Academy of Art, with an emphasis in Photography, and was a recipient of the Aperture & Google Pixel Creator Labs Photo Fund. In 2025, Thomas will attend the Château Orquevaux Artist Residency in France.

Follow Rachel on Instagram!

© Rachel Elise Thomas, Great-grandmother, Lillian (Crowded House), 2022. From Thomas: When I was a child, my paternal great-grandmother lived with us for a short period of time. I was too young to be inconvenienced by her presence in our home–I actually liked it, and so did my parents to some degree (even though she stressed them out). My great-grandmother enjoyed sitting in the living room where she would people watch in her rocking chair–keeping an eye on everything. She eventually moved to a nursing home and when she did, I was inconsolable. I missed her presence in our home.

© Rachel Elise Thomas, Homecoming Dance (Crowded House), 2022. From Thomas: The projected image of me was taken in the living room on the night of the Homecoming dance back in 2005. It was my senior year–the first and only Homecoming dance I ever attended.

I consider myself an interdisciplinary artist, designer, and archivist, working within lens-based approaches. In my practice, I am deeply committed to pushing the boundaries of photography in terms of its creation, presentation, and discourse.

The subject matter I am focusing on revolves around my personal experience of being compared to Aunt Jemima by a coworker. I was in uniform, and I just so happened to be wearing one of my stylish head wraps–but one of the biggest insinuators to provoke such an incredibly racist and out-of-line comment was undoubtedly; my dark skin, ancestral features, and bigger/shapelier body. It is not lost on me that my appearance determines how I am treated, and as a dark-skinned Black woman, I am constantly reminded. I decided to take an uncomfortable moment and turn it into something that would allow me to feel empowered by taking control over the narrative. My collage titled, 'Mammy Archetype', is about me. It addresses the politics of colorism, favoritism, and desirability that I’ve experienced, and since these things have affected me, it was important that I include myself–by adding my fingerprint several times throughout the background–a literal representation of me. This project specifically highlights the complexities and prejudices tied to colorism and the politics of desirability–not only within the Black community, but also in society. Conducting my research, I came to the realization that: darker skinned Black women in vintage advertisements are promoting/selling food or domestic (cleaning) products while lighter/fair skinned Black women in vintage advertisements are promoting/selling hair, cosmetics, or beautification (usually skin lightning) products.

© Rachel Elise Thomas, Mammy Archetype, 2022. From Thomas: My fascination with Aunt Jemima stems from a particular incident where I was likened to the pancake mascot by a white coworker. Like the character, I was wearing a head wrap, but this comparison was also made due to me being a dark-skinned Black woman with a full-figured physique. This inspired me to reclaim the narrative of a humiliating situation and assert my empowerment by creating the collage named Mammy Archetype. This collage delves into themes of desirability; colorism and societal standards of beauty–emphasizing my personal connection to this artwork, I incorporated my repeated thumbprint multiple times throughout the background as a form of self-portraiture, further likening myself to the subject matter.

© Rachel Elise Thomas, Dismantle Beauty, 2025. From Thomas: The definition of dismantle means: to disassemble or pull down; take apart, to disconnect the pieces of, to destroy the integrity or functioning of. I take satisfaction in altering the appearance of women from different advertisements through the process of doing image transfers. I specifically select images from Black American publications where the women in the advertisements are seen as the epitome of beauty, adorned with the best cosmetics, wigs and different hairstyles from a time long ago. During the process of rubbing and peeling the paper of each image transfer, the ink on the surface beautifully stains the tile as I carefully reveal what’s underneath. Each outcome unpredictable and diverse–further illustrating that Black women are not a monolith. My decision to do image transfers on ceramic tile was intentional, associating the complexity and depth that I associate with being a Black woman–metaphorically, the 4″x4″ ceramic tile is fragile, meant to be handled with care, but also stable enough to withstand friction.

I employ collage, printmaking, sculpture, and site-specific installation to explore the intricate nuances of my personal identity. Through my work, I confront viewers with the uncomfortable realities of colorism, desirability, misogynoir, and biases, while also challenging conventional notions of beauty. This engagement fuels my exploration of the subject matter and the often-overlooked connections and insights within it.

I draw extensively upon my personal and familial archives, including my collection of magazines from Black American publications such as Ebony, Essence, Jet, and Vibe—content that has been present in my family home for as long as I can remember.

Using research as a tool to enhance my practice, I investigate and question the historical context of being a Black American in this country. By comparing the past to the present, I reveal that despite superficial changes, many underlying issues, such as white supremacy, prejudice, consumerism, and beauty standards, remain persistent; these issues are simply repackaged and rebranded for a new era.

© Rachel Elise Thomas, University of Alabama 1965, 2024. From Thomas: Vivian Malone Jones made history on May 30, 1965, as the first Black student to graduate from the University of Alabama, which was formerly segregated. Despite her academic achievements in high school and membership in the National Honor Society, Jones was initially denied admission to UA due to supposed “enrollment issues” or “class size”. Throughout her time at UA, Jones faced threats, intimidation, and extra security measures for her safety. This difficult journey is evident in the graduation day photo where Jones appears solemn among a sea of white peers, reflecting her exhaustion and desire to move on with her life. The artwork from my graduate thesis illustrates my fascination with Black Americans who were among the first to attend predominantly white institutions. Comparing my own journey as a minority in these environments, I shed light on the challenges of being a Black student in the pursuit of higher education, emphasizing the isolation often experienced.

© Rachel Elise Thomas, University of Louisville 1950s, 2024. From Thomas:The three Black students in the photo raised questions for me–where are they from, what are they studying, and do they feel welcomed in this setting? In the original image, they are the only minorities among a predominantly white group of classmates. This historic image holds significance as it reflects a time when universities were beginning to desegregate. Seeing these young women pursuing higher education resonates with me personally. Despite being taken at the University of Louisville in the 1950s, further information about the image or the students depicted remains unknown. The artwork from my graduate thesis illustrates my fascination with Black Americans who were among the first to attend predominantly white institutions. Using my own thumbprint to compare my journey as a minority in these environments, I shed light on the challenges of being a Black student in the pursuit of higher education, emphasizing the isolation often experienced.

Through Rachel’s consideration of history and legacy, their work emerges as a sentimental recollection of Black Americans and their experiences through a tactile and immersive nature. Be sure to keep up with Rachel’s work: rachelelisethomas.com.

© Rachel Elise Thomas, Picture Day, 2024. From Thomas: This stool features an image transfer of myself, taken on picture day in kindergarten (1993–1994). I deliberately chose this picture to transfer because I wanted my brown skin to seamlessly merge with the stool’s fiberboard material. I’ve observed multiple people either place a box, coat, or accidentally sit on the stool, without noticing the image of my face. In my childhood, I harbored a desire to become invisible, not out of embarrassment or shyness, but out of mischievous curiosity to observe unnoticed–as an adult, I involuntarily became invisible in a different way. My brown skin, a color often overlooked or erased in mainstream representation, made it easy for my face to fade into obscurity.

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