Richard Whitten is a painter and sculptor of mixed Asian and American ancestry working in Rhode Island. His early work could loosely be termed geometric abstractions, but he is best known for his later representational paintings that combine an interest in architecture, invented machinery and toys. Whitten is also known for his toy-like sculptures. Whitten was the chair of the art department at Rhode Island College (2016-2018) and continues to teach there as part of the faculty.