Texas artist Christopher Troutman will have a solo exhibition, "Giant Size Comics", on display October 25 through December 9 at the Western Illinois University Art Gallery. A reception for the artist will be held Thursday, December 8 from 4:30-6:00 p.m. The artist will speak about their work at 5:00 pm. Born in Kansas City, Missouri and raised in Peoria, Illinois, Christopher Troutman has lived in Beaumont, Texas since 2013, where he teaches all levels of drawing at Lamar University. In 2003 Troutman received a BFA from Bradley University then moved to Japan, where he and his wife opened a conversational English school. While living in Kagoshima City, in 2005 he was the first foreign resident of Kagoshima to be awarded the Grand Prize at the 52nd Kagoshima Prefectural Art Exhibition. After completing an MFA in drawing and painting at California State University, Long Beach in 2008, Troutman taught in at Eastern Kentucky University, Vincennes University, and Eastern Illinois University. He has had solo exhibitions in Japan and the US, and in 2014 Troutman was awarded the Grand Prize (Paris Prize) at the 66th Miyanichi Comprehensive Art Exhibition in Miyazaki Prefecture. He and his family return to Japan annually.