Khalif Tahir Thompson

Khalif Tahir Thompson is best recognized for his powerful work concentrated in portraiture and figuration. Based in New York City, Khalif incorporates painting, drawing, collage, printmaking, and papermaking into his practice. A recent BFA graduate from Purchase College, Khalif chronicles the lived and imagined experiences of and between human beings. Khalif believes painting can be a tool in considering the emotional, psychological complexity of an individual’s story and identity. Creating imagery that connects one to the realm of another, Khalif aims to alter perception and invoke empathy towards his subjects, depicting their reality across a visceral lens.

At the Anderson Center, Khalif created a large-scale triptych, experimenting with active forms in an outside environment. For this project Khalif utilized time and space at Tower View to build upon each painting’s surface and concepts, while challenging himself to create new, dynamic work that adds to his substantial portfolio. On August 14, Khalif led a drop-in Papermaking & Collage Workshop activity in the North Studios Courtyard at the Anderson Center. Participants used handmade paper and a variety of collaging material (magazines, newspapers, journal entries, etc.) to create expressive works of art that resonate.