Kara Walker creates bold, monumental works that address American history, social justice, and racial politics through large scale public installations, sharing Thomas's commitment to figurative art as a vehicle for social commentary and civil rights themes.

Jeff Koons works extensively with fiberglass and aluminum to create large scale monumental sculptures that command public space, sharing Thomas's use of industrial materials and bold figurative forms designed for maximum visual impact.

Kehinde Wiley creates monumental figurative works centered on Black identity and social justice in the American context, and his public sculptures in bronze and fiberglass directly parallel Thomas's approach to politically charged contemporary figurative monument making.