Every painting holds a history. So do we.
Robert Hightower doesn't believe in painting over the past. He believes in building on it.
A self-taught painter based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Robert began painting in 2021. In just a few years, his work has appeared in the de Young Open, multiple solo exhibitions, and more than fifteen group shows.
But his artistic voice didn't arrive in a flash of inspiration. It emerged slowly, through experimentation, repetition, and a willingness to keep returning to the canvas.
His process is deceptively simple: paint, edit, revise.
Each new layer is a conversation with the one beneath it. Rather than covering up earlier marks, Robert allows them to remain visible, letting the painting reveal the history of its own making.
It's a philosophy that reaches well beyond the canvas.
We are all, in some way, works in progress. Shaped by what came before, changed by what comes next, and never entirely separate from the people we used to be.
In 2024, Robert became the first recipient of a Bader + Simon grant, marking the beginning of a relationship that continues to grow. His work will take center stage in a solo exhibition at Bader + Simon's new Cincinnati gallery in January 2027.
For Robert, the next chapter isn't about erasing the last one.
It's about seeing what happens when you add another layer.
Check out Robert’s work at https://robertdhightower.com/
