American artist Titus Kaphar (b. 1976, Kalamazzo, MI), examines the history of representation in Western painting, by transforming styles and mediums with his own formal innovations. Alongside his highly refined painting style, he is known for employing techniques such as shredding portions of the canvas, cutting away characters, “white-washing” his own images and adding thick layers of tar to the painted surface. Uncovering the concept and narrative underpinning certain source images, he explores the manipulation of cultural and personal identity, and seeks to dislodge history from its status as the “past” in order to unearth its contemporary relevance. Kaphar graduated with a BFA at San Jose State University in 2001 and received an MFA from Yale University School of Art in 2006. He currently lives and works in New Haven, Connecticut.