Chiffon Thomas’s practice is an interdisciplinary one, ranging across hand embroidered two-dimensional work to mixed media sculpture. Identifying as a trans queer person of color, Thomas’ powerful figurative assemblages examine the difficulties faced by defining one’s identity in contemporary society. Thomas is interested in relational aesthetics and the body in relation to objects. He sees a symbiotic relationship between biology and industrial structures and how they relate to each other, in that a lot of the things that we make functional in the world are by copying nature. Thomas is deeply interested in monuments and the concept of the body serving as an armature for a monument. Symbolic approaches have been developed by humanity to signify ascension or connection to the heavens and the earth. The question arises: Why do societies commemorate the dead or the deceased? Traditionally, this practice involves honoring the non-living body with respect for the life that once existed. However, sometimes the living body is not accorded the same level of respect. Thomas's vision materializes in an obelisk, symbolizing growth from a single pair of feet on a platform into a layered monument, embodying these profound reflections.
Corrosion is important to the nature of this artwork. The invasive decay, eating and etching away at the metals, relates to the inevitable decay of the body and the environment over time.