Rate My Professor Jamal Thorne

Jamal Thorne is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Art + Design department within Northeastern University's College of Arts, Media and Design. He earned a B.A. in Photographic Media from Morgan State University in 2008 and became the pioneering student in the joint M.F.A. program between Northeastern University and The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, receiving his M.F.A. in 2012. Thorne serves as Visiting Faculty at the Eliot School for Fine and Applied Arts and leads Dialogue of Civilizations courses, including Shoshin Japan, guiding students through cultural experiences in Kyoto and Tokyo. His career at Northeastern includes contributions to the Extended Reality Initiative, where he collaborates on innovative projects such as extended reality pilots for hybrid learning.

A Boston-based artist, Thorne specializes in using the drawing medium to investigate and visualize performed identity. Through massive drawings, he blends references from popular culture, religious iconography, and symbolism to depict multilayered identities, particularly exploring the African American male experience and the boundaries between performed and authentic self. His inaugural solo exhibition, 'Frontin(g),' was held at Northeastern's Gallery 360 in 2012, featuring large charcoal drawings inspired by themes of identity and masks. Thorne has exhibited at prestigious venues including the James E. Lewis Museum of Art in Baltimore, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and the Huret and Specter Gallery in Boston. In 2012, he received the Joan Mitchell Foundation MFA Grant. Additionally, he co-authored a work-in-progress paper on extended reality pilots for hybrid learning at Northeastern University. Thorne maintains an active studio practice alongside his teaching responsibilities.