Robert Peterson
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.
ROBERT PETERSON
Born in 1981 in Denver, CO
Currently lives and works in Lawton, OK
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, FL
Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis, MN
Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, OK
Museum of Fine Arts, Saint Petersburg, FL
Wichita Art Museum, Wichita, KS
United States Postal Service
SELECTED SOLO & TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2024 Wichita Art Museum, Wichita, KS (forthcoming)
2023 Reflections, albertz benda, New York, NY
Homecoming, Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, OK
2022 When You See Them, You See Me, Claire Oliver, New York, NY
2018 Works of Robert Peterson, Museum of Great Plains, Lawton, OK
2017 His-Story, Leslie Powell Gallery, Lawton, OK
2016 Iconic Pairs, JRB Art at the Elms Gallery, Oklahoma City, OK
2015 About Face, JRB Art at the Elms Gallery, Oklahoma City, OK
2014 Faces of New York, SDG Gallery, New York, NY
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 Do You See Me, Albertz Benda, Los Angeles, CA
2022 Untitled Art, Albertz Benda, Miami, FL
1-54 Art Fair, Claire Oliver, London, UK
Future Perfect, Claire Oliver, New York, NY
Expo, Claire Oliver, Chicago, IL
2021 Untitled Art, Claire Oliver, Miami, FL
C11H17NO3 - MESCALINE, Band of Vices, Los Angeles, CA
Masterpiece II, Band of Vices, Los Angeles, CA
2020 Believing is Achieving, Sand Springs Historical Museum, Tulsa, OK
LA Art Show, Patric Painter, Los Angeles, CA
2019 Threesome International Show, 19 Karen Contemporary Gallery,
Mermaid Beach, AU
Walk This Way, Patrick Painter, Los Angeles, CA
The Art Social, NYCH Gallery, Chicago, IL
Art Aspen, Bruce Lurie Gallery, Aspen, CO
ArtsOK, Broken Arrow Museum of Art, Broken Arrow, OK
2018 Floh, Cleveland Museum of Contemporary Art, Cleveland, OH
2017 Art for Rights, Amnesty International, Los Angeles, CA
Analog Angels, Greg Stuff Group Exhibition, Brooklyn, NY
2016 Self Image, SDG Gallery, Art Basel Miami, Miami, FL
Art of Boxing, TMT, MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV
2015 Sportrait, SDG Gallery, Art Basel Miami, Miami, FL
Kaleidoscope NYC, Eastmen Collective, New York, NY
2014 Provocateur/ Paddle 8 Presents the Best of the Best, Paddle 8,
Soho, NY
Monster Products Vibes, Art Basel Miami, Miami, FL