Encompassing art, inspiration, and creative consciousness, Tarik “Black Thought” Trotter’s Streams of Thought conversation series returns. Join us for an intimate discussion between the acclaimed lyricist/writer/composer and renowned visual artist and 2018 MacArthur Fellow Titus Kaphar.

Titus Kaphar is an artist whose paintings, sculptures, and installations examine the history of representation by transforming its styles and mediums with formal innovations to emphasize the physicality and dimensionality of the canvas and materials themselves. His practice seeks to dislodge history from its status as the “past” in order to unearth its contemporary relevance. He cuts, crumples, shrouds, shreds, stitches, tars, twists, binds, erases, breaks, tears, and turns the paintings and sculptures he creates, reconfiguring them into works that reveal unspoken truths about the nature of history.

With an MFA from the Yale School of Art, Kaphar is a distinguished recipient of numerous prizes and awards including a 2018 MacArthur Fellowship, a 2018 Art for Justice Fund grant, a 2016 Robert R. Rauschenberg Artist as Activist grant, and a 2015 Creative Capital grant. His work Analogous Colors was featured on the cover of the June 15, 2020 issue of TIME.

Kaphar’s commitment to social engagement has led him to move beyond traditional modes of artistic expression to establish NXTHVN, a new national arts model that empowers emerging artists and curators of color through education and access.

This program is presented as part of #KenCenHipHop’s For the Culture Artist Residency program and Culture Talks series.

For the Culture Artist Residency
The Roots

The For the Culture Artist Residency celebrates one of the core tenets of the Center’s Hip Hop Culture Program: celebrating the multi-hyphenate. Join us as the Center enters year two of its inaugural residency with one of Hip Hop’s vital cultural leaders and most respected acts: four-time Grammy Award-winning band The Roots. Throughout the season, the legendary crew’s joint front men—acclaimed emcee, writer, actor, and artist Tarik “Black Thought” Trotter and award-winning drummer, DJ, producer, director, journalist, and best-selling author Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson—continue to explore the full range of their creative expression encompassing the presentation of their work, curatorial endeavors, activations, civic engagement, and more.