Cleon Peterson
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Cleon Peterson (born 1973) is an American contemporary artist based in Los Angeles. He is best known for large-scale paintings and murals featuring stylized figures in violent conflict, exploring themes of power, domination, and societal collapse.[1][2]
Born in Seattle, Peterson experienced a troubled youth, later turning to art as a career path.[1] He earned a BFA from ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena in 2004 and an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan in 2006.[3][4]
Career
Peterson began his career in graphic design and illustration, notably working for Shepard Fairey’s design agency, Studio Number One, marking a turning point in his transition toward a committed art career.[5] His imagery is characterized by stark, graphic scenes of violence and domination, rendered in black-and-white figures often accented with red.[2]
In 2016, he created Endless Sleep, the first-ever mural painted directly beneath the Eiffel Tower for Nuit Blanche Paris—depicting dynamic, intertwined figures and blending references to Greek frescoes and street art.[6] He has also participated in institutional projects such as Lasco Project #8 at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris.[7]
Exhibitions
Peterson’s notable solo exhibitions include:
- Blood & Soil at Over the Influence, Los Angeles (July 8 – August 5 2018), featuring new paintings, bronze sculptures, and a large-scale sculpture.[8]
- Mr. Sinister at albertz benda, New York (March 3 – April 2 2022), where he premiered a new series exploring power, morality, and fantasy.[9]
- Under the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars at Kaikai Kiki Gallery, Tokyo (February 13 – March 4 2023), his first solo exhibition in Japan in seven years, featuring twenty-seven new paintings.[10]