# Cleon Peterson

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American contemporary artist (born 1973)

**Cleon Peterson** (born 1973) is an American [contemporary artist](/source/Contemporary_artist) based in [Los Angeles](/source/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]

## Early life and education

Born in [Seattle](/source/Seattle), Peterson experienced a troubled youth, later turning to art as a career path.[1] He earned a [BFA](/source/Bachelor_of_Fine_Arts) from [ArtCenter College of Design](/source/ArtCenter_College_of_Design) in [Pasadena](/source/Pasadena%2C_California) in 2004 and an [MFA](/source/Master_of_Fine_Arts) from [Cranbrook Academy of Art](/source/Cranbrook_Academy_of_Art) in [Michigan](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Mural) painted directly beneath the [Eiffel Tower](/source/Eiffel_Tower) for [Nuit Blanche](/source/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](/source/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]

## Critical reception

Peterson’s work has drawn a range of critical responses. Reviewing *Shadow of Men* at MCA Denver, the *Denver Post* described the show as “hard to look at” but argued that it “forces us to examine the darkness within.”[11]

Other coverage has emphasized the political dimension of his work. *It’s Nice That* highlighted his 2018 exhibition *Blood & Soil* as a direct critique of American politics,[12] while *Artsy* described his violent imagery as “striking at the heart of a divided America.”[13]

At the same time, some critics have questioned the racial dynamics of his black-and-white figures. *Hyperallergic* noted that *Shadow of Men* prompted debate over how violence is portrayed in museums, with some viewers finding the imagery troubling.[14]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Format_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Format_1-1) ["Painter Cleon Peterson is Inspired by Destructive Children"](https://www.format.com/magazine/features/art/cleon-peterson-art-profile-portfolio). *Format Magazine*. 25 February 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2025.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ItsNiceThatProfile_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ItsNiceThatProfile_2-1) ["Art: Cleon Peterson disturbs and delights with his giant canvases of orgiastic ultraviolence"](https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/cleon-peterson-updates). *It's Nice That*. 11 June 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-MCA_Denver_3-0)** ["Cleon Peterson: Shadow of Men"](https://mcadenver.org/exhibitions/cleon-peterson). *Museum of Contemporary Art Denver*. Retrieved 22 August 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-CranbrookNews_4-0)** ["Peterson's "Shadow of Men" Opens at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver in February"](https://cranbrookart.edu/2017/11/16/petersons-shadow-of-men-opens-at-the-museum-of-contemporary-art-denver-in-february/). *Cranbrook Academy of Art*. 16 November 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-StudioOne_5-0)** ["In addition to quitting drugs for good, working for Shepard Fairey's Studio Number One marked the start of a major turnaround in Peterson's life"](https://anothersomething.org/cleon-peterson/). *Another Something*. Retrieved 27 August 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ItsNiceThatEiffel_6-0)** ["Cleon Peterson paints the first mural underneath the Eiffel Tower for Nuit Blanche Paris"](https://www.itsnicethat.com/news/cleon-peterson-nuit-blanche-paris-eiffel-tower-mural-270916). *It's Nice That*. 27 September 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-PalaisTokyo_7-0)** ["Lasco Project #8"](https://palaisdetokyo.com/en/exposition/lasco-project-8/). *Palais de Tokyo*. Retrieved 22 August 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Cleon Peterson "Blood & Soil""](https://overtheinfluence.com/exhibitions/cleon-peterson-blood-soil/). *Over the Influence*. Retrieved 22 August 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Cleon Peterson: Mr. Sinister"](https://www.albertzbenda.com/exhibitions/14-cleon-peterson-mr.-sinister/). *albertz benda*. Retrieved 22 August 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-KaikaiKiki_10-0)** ["Under the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars (solo exhibition) – Cleon Peterson"](https://en.gallery-kaikaikiki.com/2023/02/cleon_main/). *Kaikai Kiki Gallery*. February 13 – March 4, 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-DenverPost_11-0)** Rinaldi, Ray Mark (5 March 2018). ["Cleon Peterson show at MCA can be hard to look at, but it forces us to examine the darkness within"](https://www.denverpost.com/2018/03/05/rinaldi-cleon-peterson-show-at-mca-can-be-hard-to-look-at-but-it-forces-us-to-examine-the-darkness-within/). *The Denver Post*. Retrieved 22 August 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["Cleon Peterson's new exhibition Blood & Soil attacks American politics head on"](https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/cleon-peterson-blood-and-soil-art-060718). *It's Nice That*. 6 July 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["Cleon Peterson's Violent Paintings Strike at the Heart of a Divided America"](https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-cleon-petersons-violent-paintings-strike-heart-divided-america). *Artsy*. 10 July 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["Who Decides What Is Violent in the Museum?"](https://hyperallergic.com/441854/who-decides-what-is-violent-in-the-museum/). *Hyperallergic*. 10 May 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2025.

## External links

- [Official website](https://cleonpeterson.com/)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Cleon Peterson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleon_Peterson) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleon_Peterson?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.