Branded and Bound: Hank Willis Thomas and the Struggle for Identity
How images have helped me reframe my story
Hank Willis Thomas is a conceptual artist who forces us to confront how identity is shaped, sold, and controlled—especially in the worlds of sports, media, and culture. His art speaks to the ways we are seen, the ways we see ourselves, and the struggle to break free from the frames imposed on us.
The first time his work hit me was at the Barnes Foundation in Philly during the 30 Americans exhibition. I was an active NFL player, walking through the gallery, when I saw Branded Head (2003). A simple but powerful image—just the back of a shaved head with a Nike swoosh burned into the skin. I froze.
I am literally branded on my chest and left arm, representing my fraternity, Omega Psi Phi. But this cut deeper. As an athlete, I had been conditioned to build and protect my brand—my name, my image, my likeness. But Branded Head forced me to ask: How much of myself had I given up for that brand? How much had been decided for me before I even had a say? The photo reminded me of the small parts of us that we surrender for the sake of the brand, for the sake of success.
Fast forward to last year, and I saw his work again—this time at the Rubell Museum in DC. Now, I was a retired player, in a different phase of life. But there it was: Basketball and Chain. And again, I was stuck.
This image shows a player mid-air, maybe soaring for a dunk. But a closer look reveals his ankle is shackled and chained to the basketball. Suddenly, the image transformed. At first, I saw elevation. Now, I saw the weight. The ball became an anchor. The relationship between the athlete and the game shifted when the tether was revealed. Then it hit me: The subject is out of frame.
We don’t know who he is. We don’t see his face. All we see is the action, the motion, the symbols of an athlete: the ball and the sneakers. If the athlete stayed in frame, we could see and recognize him clearly—but he is not. He is out of frame. It felt personal. After retirement, I had been trying to move into new spaces—business, art, storytelling—but I felt trapped in the frame the world still saw me through: athlete. That identity was a chain, one I had to fight to break. Because in truth, I am no longer an athlete, and that’s okay. Life outside of the frame may leave you unrecognizable, but at least you’re not tethered to a ball.
That’s what makes Hank Willis Thomas’ work so powerful. He exposes the invisible chains that we choose and those that are forced upon us. He highlights how society sees and commodifies Black bodies, especially athletes. He forces us to ask: Who is really in control? Who owns their image? And how do they reclaim it?
What Do You Think?
How do you see the relationship between athletes and branding? Do you think players are truly free, or is there always a chain attached?
Check out more of Hank Willis Thomas’ work in his publication: All Things Being Equal...
Want more? Check out this conversation I had with Thomas on the intersections of art and sports in Get In The Game: Sports, Art, Culture by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. The exhibition and the publication are phenomenal—packed with interviews from your favorite athletes and artists!
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