“I will focus on ancient Roman architecture to analyze its cultural and societal impact on the design of American political and federal buildings, as well as colonial homes. (…) In my research, I will emphasize how principles of symmetry, proportion, and the use of columns convey ideals of democracy and civic virtue and how these architectural elements reflect and sometimes contradict societal beliefs, serving as markers of skewed promises and symbols of enforced oppression.”

Chiffon Thomas

Born in 1991 in Chicago, Chiffon Thomas is the first artist hosted in the Foundation’s residency program.

Thomas’s practice is multimedia, spanning sculpture, drawing, performance, and embroidery. The artist creates powerful figurative assemblages, merging body parts with architectural elements: bronze, steel, and stained glass are among the favored materials, in a practice deeply focused on materiality. Connected to themes like identity and memory, Thomas weaves personal and collective stories of trauma and repair, tied to the legacy of colonial violence in the United States and the challenge of reconciling a deeply religious upbringing with personal desires and inclinations.

The artist will be in residence between May and June 2025.