Born in Harlem, New York, and raised in Brooklyn, Oscar Peterson is currently a resident of Millburn, New Jersey. Peterson has worked as a professional art director and designer/illustrator for various corporations and non-profits, and as a commissioned fine arts painter specializing in portraiture. An alumnus of Pratt Institute and the Art Students League, Peterson studied with many leading realist painters, including Nelson Shanks, Dave Passalacqua, and Costa Vavagiakis.

Oscar Peterson’s approach to painting is to capture the grace and beauty of ordinary people. The sampling of portraits and figurative included on this website were painted from life in his studio and at the Art Students League in New York. Peterson’s quest is not to capture a moment in time, but to capture a time in the life of the individual he paints. In so doing, Peterson hopes to evoke a response and create an emotional connection between the painting and the viewer, which to him is a rewarding and humbling experience.

Sponsored by: 1978 Arts Center

Oscar Peterson is currently undertaking portrait commissions. https://www.oscarpetersonportraits.com/