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 his work, Troutman uses drawing to define the form and space of figures and environments, as well as examine storytelling inspired by personal narrative. In 2003 Troutman received a BFA from Bradley University then moved to Japan, where he and his wife opened a conversational English school in Kagoshima City. While living in southern Japan, 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 at several locations throughout the US. In 2014, Troutman was awarded the Grand Prize (Paris Prize) at the 66th Miyanichi Sougou Art Exhibition in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. He and his family return to Japan annually.