Welcome to the Bunker Questionnaire, a series in which we ask Bunker Projects residents and exhibiting artists a few questions based on Marcel Proust’s famous Proust Questionnaire, a survey that purported to reveal a person’s true nature. We hope their answers and the accompanying photos allow you to get to know them and their work a little bit more.
Patricia Renee’ Thomas is a painter, researcher, and educator based in Philadelphia with a BFA from Tyler School of Art and Architecture and an MFA from University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman School of Design. She has exhibited in several Museums, including The DuSable Black History Museum in Chicago, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, The Colored Girls Museum in Philadelphia, PA, The Delaware Contemporary Museum in Wilmington, DE and the Susquehanna Museum of Art in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Thomas has exhibited with galleries in New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, New Orleans, Chicago, San Francisco, Miami, Lagos, Nigeria and Koln, Germany. Thomas teaches Painting and Drawing at University of Pennsylvania and is currently Visiting Faculty at Penn State University.
Describe yourself in three words
“Colorful, enduring, honest”
Who are your favorite artists/the ones who’ve influenced you most?
“Betye Saar, Kerry James Marshall, Charles White, Horace Pippin.”
What is your idea of happiness?
“A world where we are free of the current (and young) cult of white supremacy.”
What’s your favorite studio ritual or habit?
“I love a fruit break!”
Where do you go or what do you do when you need inspiration to recharge
“Cafes, museums, and parks.”
What’s the next goal or milestone you are working toward in your practice?
“Solo Museum show!”
What draws you to do artist residencies?
“Space to think, new communities to build with, and fresh perspectives.”
If you’d like to support Bunker Projects’ mission to provide a safe, equitable space for emerging artists to develop their practice and create new works for exhibition, please consider making a one-time or recurring donation here. We are so grateful for your generosity.
