Khalif Tahir Thompson
Courtesy of SKIRA and @Khalif Tahir Thompson
Khalif Tahir Thompson is an African-American painter who has just graduated from The Yale School of Art. His work is populated by black figures set in colourful, shimmering environments that sometimes resemble patchworks verging on abstraction. Yet each of his works seems rooted in reality. The artist manages to imbue his figures with a genuine psychological identity, revealing a meticulous study of the human being.
Cassandra in a Plaid Skirt, 2022 Oil, handmade paper, papyrus, velvet, fabric, newsprint and acrylic on canvas.
147 × 152 cm / 57⅞ × 59⅞ in. © Khalif Tahir Thompson
In this way, he reveals himself to be an outstanding portraitist. In his groups of figures, some are posed, while others are taken on the spot, without paying any attention to the painter. All of which adds to the feeling of immediacy of an artist in love with reality.
Elsewhere, Khalif Tahir Thompson likes to depict isolated figures dozing in an atmosphere of serenity, despite the obvious vulnerability of his characters. The artist's works are also filled with mysterious letters and numbers. These multiple signs echo the diversity of materials used by the artist. Painting in oils and acrylics, the artist creates his own papers, which he then applies to the canvas. He likes to mix pearls, fabric, velvet, newspaper and leather to create wonderful material effects.
Cherry Jubilee, 2023 Oil, pastel, acrylic, pleather, fabric, handmade paper (abaca, cotton), papyrus and construction paper on canvas.
227 × 159 cm / 89⅜ × 62⅝ in. © Khalif Tahir Thompson
This is the first reference monograph on the practice of this very young painter whose work is already prolific.
Khalif Tahir Thompson (b. 1995, NYC) is an African-American painter who just graduated from The Yale School of Art. His work explores notions of self through the scopes of race, sexuality, and spirituality, creating imagery that connects one to the realm of another. He alters perception and invokes empathy towards his subjects, depicting their reality across a visceral lens (subjects include family, friends, and cultural figures placed in constructed settings). Populated by black figures set in colorful, shimmering environments that can resemble patchworks verging on abstraction, his work is also rooted in reality. Painting in oils and acrylics, the artist creates his own paper, which he then applies to the canvas; he also likes to mix in pearls, fabric, velvet, newspaper, and leather to create wonderful material effects. An outstanding portraitist, the artist imbues his figures with a uniquely visual psychological identity, revealing a captivating depiction of figurative portraiture within a deeply defined mood. His palette and use of color are all devices to convey mood and harmony within his imagery, and he believes color works in tandem with texture, weight, and form in telling stories. Gravitating toward warmer earth tones typically found in domestic spaces, he does also enjoy expanding into different realms of bright, imaginative color, typical of palettes found in fauvist works. His paintings are currently held in prestigious institutions, including Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo, MI; The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX; Pérez Art Museum, Miami, Fl; The Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH; The Grant Hill Collection, Orlando, Fl; The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO.
The monograph is edited by Denise Wendel-Poray, a Canadian/French writer, editor, , curator, and graduate of McGill and Yale Universities.
Year: 2023
Language: Bilingual French English
ISBN: 237074230
EAN: 9782370742308
Dimensions: 23 x 29.5cm
Pages: 160
Colour illustrations: 100
Argument: Art
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