The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of August 14, 2026

An up-close, vertically oriented chromogenic print depicts the muscular torso of a man with medium-dark skin tone from the chest down. Six curved checkmark symbols are clustered as raised scar tissue on his pectoral muscle to our left, with one more to our right. Monochromatic copper-brown tones highlight his abdominal muscles and skin texture, while hair is visible at the bottom edge.

Scarred Chest

2004

Hank Willis Thomas

(American, 1976-)
America
digital chromogenic print, Lambda
Paper: 152.4 x 101.6 cm (60 x 40 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 2012.59
© Hank Willis Thomas
Location: Not on view
  • 2004-?
    Hank Willis Thomas (the artist) [1976-]
    ?-2012
    (Jack Shainman Gallery, New York, NY)
    September 4, 2012
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine. Vol. 53 no. 02, March/April 2013 Mentioned &reproduced: p. 15 archive.org
  • Hank Willis Thomas: All Things Being Equal.... Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR (organizer) (October 5, 2019-January 12, 2020) https://portlandartmuseum.org/exhibitions/hank-willis-thomas/; Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR (February 8-July 13, 2020); The Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, OH (September 4-November 8, 2020).
    Hank Willis Thomas at the Transformer Station. Transformer Station (December 14, 2013-March 8, 2014).
  • {{cite web|title=Scarred Chest|url=false|author=Hank Willis Thomas|year=2004|access-date=14 August 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2012.59