Born in 1951 in Asheville, North Carolina, Donald Sultan rose to prominence in the 1980's as a painter and draftsman of subjects such as lemons and flowers. He is best known for his rich use of black, actually tar in many of his paintings, and his work is voluminous and varied, manifesting itself in the media of paint, printing, and sculpting. Sultan received his BFA from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and his MFA from the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. He moved to New York in 1975, where he lives and works. His still-lifes have been described as studies in contrast. Powerfully sensual, fleshy objects are rendered through a labor-intensive and unique method. Instead of canvas, Sultan works on masonite covered with 12-inch vinyl floor tiles. The tiles dictate the format: one-foot squares, eight-foot squares, or four-foot squares. Sultan cuts the shapes he desires into the vinyl, fills in the cutout space with plaster and/or tar, and then paints over it. These multiple layers create the texture and subsequent richness.