During Art Basel Miami Beach last week, artists and partners Mickalene Thomas and Racquel Chevremont of art platform Deux Femmes Noires and fashion house Gucci threw a private bash to celebrate the release of Thomas’s new book Monograph, published by Phaidon. DJ Kitty Ca$h, who hails from Flatbush, Brooklyn and has worked with the likes of SZA and Rihanna, kept the music going while guests danced the night away and treated themselves to award-winning Chef Nina Compton’s delectable cuisine, which blends her native Caribbean tastes with that of French and Italian cuisines.
Attendees of the spirited gathering included Allegra Shaw, Alioune Diop, Brooke Shields, Candace Marie Stewart, Chloe and Brooke Wise, Derrick Adams, Devon Windsor, , Genesis Tramaine, Elizabeth Kurpis, Eric Jess, Gianni Lee, Keith Fox, Leigh Lezark, Liara Roux, Lili Buffet, Michael and Vanessa Chow, Remi Wolf, Rickey Thompson, Rōze Traore, Shaun Ross, Selah Marley, Selby Drummond and Tourmaline, who were gifted signed copies of Monograph to commemorate the night. The Paradise Plaza venue in the Miami Design District was decorated with bold colors, neon tube lighting, mirrors and a surplus of disco balls for an all-around flair of 1970s opulence in alignment with the essence of Thomas’s work.
The only thing more tremendous than the venue itself was the guests’ attire. Diamante Gucci suits of all colors and cuts were complemented by decadent jewelry and brooches, sequins and lace. Thomas herself wore a diamante Gucci jacket and blue velvet pants, coordinating flawlessly with the space.
Monograph is a capsule of Thomas’s multidisciplinary work as an influential 21st-century contemporary artist, and is published in concurrence with the opening of her first global exhibition, “Beyond the Pleasure Principle,” at Lévy Gorvy gallery in New York, London, Hong Kong and Paris. Monograph features Thomas’s photography, collages, paintings and her outstanding immersive installations.
