Collegiate Affiliation

Lamar Peterson creates vibrant, surreal paintings that intertwine popular culture, personal history, and identity. His work primarily features Black men in moments of self-care and reflection, functioning as a form of pseudo-self-portraiture. Inspired by elementary school bulletin boards, educational activity books, and crepe paper streamers, Peterson constructs graphic, dreamlike portraits of a world where joy and absurdity collide. 

Blending surrealism with figuration, Peterson’s paintings reimagine everyday experiences as vivid, dreamlike landscapes. Through bold colors and graphic compositions, he infuses his work with humor and whimsy while simultaneously addressing deeper cultural and social tensions. His subjects, often depicted in lush natural environments, engage in self-care and contemplation, offering a counter-narrative to mainstream representations of Black masculinity.

A recipient of numerous prestigious awards, Peterson was honored with the 2013 Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters & Sculptors Grant, the 2022 Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Grant, a 2022 McKnight Artist Fellowship for Visual Artists, and a 2024 John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship. He lives and works in Minneapolis.

Educational Background & Specialties
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Educational Background

  • MFA: Drawing & Painting, Rhode Island School of Design, 2001

Specialties

  • Painting
  • Drawing