Artist Titus Kaphar, born in Kalamazoo, is one of the most accomplished living artists in the Michigan diaspora. You might have seen his paintings in the National Portrait Gallery, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, or the Detroit Institute of Arts.
This year, Kaphar made the leap into narrative filmmaking, with a semi-autobiographical film he wrote and produced titled Exhibiting Forgiveness. The Detroit Institute of Arts will screen the film December 11-15.
The film follows painter Terrell, played by André Holland, as he wrestles with generational trauma and navigates his relationship with his estranged father, played by John Earl Jelks, who has reappeared in his life unexpectedly.
Terrell's story, Kaphar said, presents a more nuanced practice of forgiveness, especially as it applies to those who have been physically or emotionally abused.
"The kind of forgiveness that I'm talking about, the kind of forgiveness that allows you to unburden yourself, the kind of forgiveness that says, 'I've been carrying this for years and I'm no longer carrying it. That debt that you owe me, you're free from it. You don't you don't have to pay me back for that,'" Kaphar said. "But it is not necessarily the kind of forgiveness that says, 'And now we will go together, forward on this journey.'"
Scenes from the movie look as if they belong on a canvas. In fact, Kaphar said he worked on the film and his artwork simultaneously. His creative process involved writing letters to his son early in the morning, dropping his kids off to school, then going to his studio and paint.
"So I was listening to what I had written that day while making these sketches and paintings," Kaphar said. "So the script and the paintings emerged at the same time."
The decision to make a narrative feature film came from Kaphar's realization that, despite being thankful for those who buy his multi-million dollar works, he felt a disconnect from his life in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
"I wanted to find a way to engage the folks who grew up like I grew up." Kaphar said. "The folks who came from places like I come from, working class, poor people who understand me and understand my experience in the world."
Hear Titus Kaphar's full conversations with April Baer on the Stateside podcast.
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GUESTS ON TODAY’S SHOW:
- Titus Kaphar, painter, artist and filmmaker of Exhibiting Forgiveness
