Ben Trosper is a Chickasaw artists who’s ink and watercolor paintings focus mainly on Wildlife, Native, and Western art. Trosper’s studio work is generally rather large scale which leads into his mural work as well. Originally from Edmond, OK, Trosper received his BFA in Studio Art from Oklahoma State University in 2012. He currently lives and works in Tulsa, OK. Ben’s stylized realist paintings explore the connections people have to animals and nature in general. He often uses stark backgrounds and negative space in his composition to focus on the subtleties of the pose and expression in the subject.

Ben has been a frequent vendor at the SEASAM and Artesian Arts Festivals, as well as having been the featured artist at the Chickasaw Welcome Center in Sulphur, OK. His most recent work can be seen in the main lobby of the Tulsa County Family Center for Juvenile Justice. The new courthouse facility commissioned 12 large paintings to portray different examples of family groups represented in animals to appeal to the younger children who may be caught up in court situations that they don’t understand. The whole idea of the building, down to the architecture, was to make it less institutional feeling and encourage a less combative relationship between children and the judicial system in general. Trosper used bright colors and gentle or playful poses to communicate family and community. Trosper also completed an 1,100 square foot mural inside the facility featuring an Oklahoma prairie sunset with a 10ft tall bison and three scissor tail flycatchers. The mural is meant to connect the children housed in the facility to the land they live in and bring light and hope to a situation that can often feel hopeless.