Artist Mickalene Thomas is facing a lawsuit brought by photographer Barbara Karant alleging copyright infringement. According to court filings discussed in reports, the complaint was filed in May in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Karant alleges that Thomas used Karant’s photographs in her own paintings and photo-based collages without permission and without attribution. The suit claims Thomas appropriated more than a dozen of Karant’s images, presenting them across multiple installations and collage works. Reports describe the alleged copying as recurring throughout Thomas’s installations and collage series, with Karant contending the works are derived from her photographs. The case centers on whether Thomas’s use of Karant’s images violates copyright protections, and the dispute does not determine infringement by itself. The filings and coverage do not indicate the outcome of the claims, and Thomas has not been shown in the reporting to have agreed with the allegations.