2025 International Artist Award

Mark your calendar! Titus Kaphar will be presented with the International Artist Award during Ranch Week on July 7-12th.

Titus Kaphar is celebrated for his groundbreaking contributions to contemporary art, using painting, sculpture, and film to address crucial social and cultural issues. As our 27th honoree, he joins a prestigious lineage of artists whose work has profoundly shaped the landscape of modern art.

Art possesses a unique ability to spark dialogue and inspire introspection, and Titus Kaphar’s creations epitomize this power by delving into themes of race, identity, family, and community. Returning to Anderson Ranch on July 9th, nearly a decade after his participation in the 2016 Summer Series, Kaphar will kick off this year’s lineup. His exceptional achievements will be celebrated at the Ranch Gala on July 10th.

We are honored to welcome Titus to the Ranch this summer. Stay tuned for more details in the upcoming weeks as we prepare an array of innovative and enriching summer programs for our community.

Header image: Titus Kaphar, Jerome I-V, 2014

About Titus Kaphar

Kaphar is renowned for work that challenges conventional representations of power, recontextualizes historical narratives, and compels viewers to rethink the social systems shaping our communities. Among his most notable projects is Analogous Colors (2020), a painting featured on the June 15, 2020, cover of Time magazine, accompanied by his written piece titled “I cannot sell you this painting.”  This work reflects on the protests sparked by George Floyd’s murder and underscores themes of systemic injustice.

In 2024, Kaphar debuted the film adaptation of Exhibiting Forgiveness—his directorial debut—featuring André Holland as Tarrell Rodin, a painter grappling with childhood trauma and the return of his estranged father. Written and directed by Kaphar and inspired by his own life experiences, the movie builds on the 2023 Exhibiting Forgiveness gallery presentation at Gagosian Beverly Hills, where a series of deeply personal paintings depicting figures, portraits, neighborhood houses, and personal artifacts were presented. These works precede the film and draw from Kaphar’s “personal, emotional and psychological well.” By blending traditional oil painting techniques with unconventional mediums, Kaphar provokes conversations about family, community, and memory.

The Jerome Project, initiated in 2011, arose from his quest to uncover, through prison records, the estranged history of his father, Jerome. His search for information led to his discovery of the records and mugshots of ninety-seven other men with the same first and last names as his father. Painted between 2014 and 2015, Kaphar created devotional-style portraits, reminiscent of Renaissance and Byzantine icons, overlaid with gold leaf and partially submerged in tar. Initially, the level of tar represented prison time, but it came to symbolize the broader consequences of incarceration, including challenges in employment, housing, and reintegration. Through this project, Kaphar compels viewers to see and acknowledge those who have been systematically silenced.

The International Artist Award is given to globally-recognized artists who demonstrate the highest level of artistic achievement and whose careers have fundamentally influenced contemporary art. As the 27th honoree, Titus Kaphar joins illustrious past recipients, including Charles Gaines (2024), Christian Marclay (2023), Yinka Shonibare CBE (2022), Simone Leigh (2021), Nick Cave (2019), Ai Weiwei (2018), Wangechi Mutu (2017), Carrie Mae Weems (2016), Frank Stella (2015), Theaster Gates (2014), and Bill Viola (2013).

Click here to see a list of past Recognition Dinner honorees.