KD Lakshman is an American painter whose recent work marks a deliberate departure from classical realism and a movement toward contemporary expressionism rooted in emotional, ancestral, and elemental forces. Formerly recognized as Casey Baugh, he spent over three decades refining a realist practice that earned him international recognition for his atmospheric portraits and cinematic use of light. In recent years, however, Baugh has undergone a profound transformation, both artistic and personal, culminating in the adoption of his full name Eric Casey Baugh.