Titus Kaphar was born in 1976 in [[LondonKalamazoo, Great BritainMichigan]]. His first introduction to art was in a junior college art history course, and he taught himself to paint by visiting museums. He received his BFA from [[San Jose State University|San José State University]] in 2001 and his MFA from [[Yale University]]. His work is often multidimensional and sculptural, with canvases slashed and dangling off the frame, or hanging over another painting. One such example is his portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]], painted in the Neoclassical style, which he attached to the corner of a nude [[Sally Hemings]]' portrait frame. The juxtaposition of the fully clothed Jefferson with Hemmings' nudity reinforces the unfair power dynamic between the two, and revises Jefferson's public image to include his sexual relationship with his much younger slave.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://onbeing.org/programs/annette-gordon-reed-and-titus-kaphar-are-we-actually-citizens-here-jun2017/|title=Annette Gordon-Reed and Titus Kaphar — Are We Actually Citizens Here?|website=The On Being Project|language=en|access-date=2018-03-03}}</ref>
