#  Art imitates nation: A conversation with Hank Willis Thomas, artist behind ‘The Embrace’ 

 



####  calendar\_today Date and Time 

 **April 8, 2024** 

 06:00PM - 06:00PM EDT 

####  pin\_drop Location 

 **Online**  



 

 



 

 ***“Racism is the most successful advertising campaign of all time.”***  
***— Hank Willis Thomas***

 The American national narrative relies on stories of *overcoming a racial past* — presenting a country continuously outwitting injustice. Integral to the successful adoption of this narrative is the hypervisible representation of Black people and culture in the public eye.

 Award-winning conceptual artist Hank Willis Thomas experiments with representation and national narrative. His art shows that if aesthetic representation is necessary to craft a national narrative, it can disrupt one just as well. Thomas’ works — which span photography, sculpture, installation and textile — interrogate how art, systemic racism and the commodification of Black struggle became intertwined with American culture. Among his permanent installations is [‘The Embrace’](https://massdesigngroup.org/work/design/embrace-hank-willis-thomas), memorializing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King in Boston Commons.

 On **April 8**, join us for a conversation between **Hank Willis Thomas** and **Sarah Elizabeth Lewis**, John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Humanities and Associate Professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

 In the style of a fireside chat, this conversation will explore questions including: How does art shape and reflect narratives around race in the United States? How does power affect the way we express ourselves? And how might art contribute to a more just, equitable society?

 This conversation is hosted by the [Institutional Antiracism and Accountability Project (IARA)](https://iara.hks.harvard.edu/) and the [Institute of Politics](https://iop.harvard.edu/programs/john-f-kennedy-jr-forum) at the JFK Jr. Forum — Harvard’s premier arena for political discussion.

 [Click here for more information. ](https://iara.hks.harvard.edu/event/art-imitates-nation/)



 

 



 

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