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© Robert Peterson

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Robert Peterson

Lawton, OK

Artist Statement

''I believe that all visual artist go through various stages in their career overtime where they will explore not only different mediums and subjects but also themselves. It has always been important to my development as an artist to go through these stages of exploring myself and different ways of creating because they have pushed me to come out on the other side a better artist and person than I was.''
 
''Initially, the paintings that I created were based solely on stock images of celebrities that I found on the internet. As I grew as an artist so did my desire to become more creative and so I began photographing men, women, and children that I know. Over the past three years, my paintings began to evolve and focus more on the black experience as I know it through my life which is obviously projected onto each new work. My art is my truth and my voice, it reflects a softer side of black people often not portrayed in the media and yet it still finds a way to show our strength and resilience, something that I want to see more of in galleries and museums.'' 

© Robert Peterson

Robert Peterson's Portfolio

© Robert Peterson

Artist Biography

Lawton, Oklahoma based artist Robert Peterson (b.1981) has firmly situated himself within an art historical narrative of portraiture. His depictions of contemporary African American life celebrate diversity and address injustice. Set against minimal backdrops, these works meditate on the beauty of Black skin and the sensual qualities of paint through shifts in tone and color. Shades of blue emphasize the musculature of Peterson’s subjects with a sense of tenderness. Peterson translates images of celebrities, community members, and his family with a naturalism that recalls the stylistic approach of editorial photography. Often directly addressing the audience, these figures are imbued with a quiet dignity that offers the viewer an opportunity to linger and reflect.

Peterson is recognized as the first African American ever to receive the title Artist of the Year in Southwest Oklahoma. In 2023, the United States Postal Service featured the artist’s portrait of author Ernest J. Gaines on the 46th Forever Stamp in their Black Heritage Series. Recent exhibitions include Robert Peterson: Homecoming, Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, OK and Reflections, albertz benda, New York, NY. His work can be found in the collections of the Brooklyn Museum, New York, NY; Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, OK; Weisman Museum of Art, Minneapolis, MN; Wichita Art Museum, Wichita, KS; and the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, FL.

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© Robert Peterson

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