In His Beaded Portraits of Black Luminaries, Felandus Thames Wants to Spark Curiosity

A profile of Felandus Thames exploring his artistic practice, the cultural histories and personal memories embedded in his work, and his inclusion in the inaugural Aldrich Decennial: I Am What Is Around Me at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, Connecticut.

The article visits Thames’s West Haven studio, examining his use of beads, found objects, and familiar elements of Black American material culture to create portraits and sculptural works that preserve histories, celebrate cultural identity, and invite renewed engagement with underrecognized figures.