Peter Erik Lopez

Peter Erik Lopez is a Harlem, New York based painter.  Peter has amassed a following from his portrait series… oil paintings of LGBTQ+ artists, activists and nightlife icons. In 2024 he was featured in OUT Magazine in an article called “How I bring larger than life queer icons to the canvas”. The notable culture creators he’s painted include: Broadway legends- Alan Cumming and Andrè De Shields, Ru Paul’s Drag Race All star- Peppermint, creator and star of Hedwig and The Angry Inch- John Cameron Mitchell and nightlife stars- Amanda LePore, Kevin Aviance and Joey Arias.

Lopez works in the classic tradition of portrait artists, with his subjects sitting for him in person.  This personal and interactive approach creates an intimate conversation between artist and model, then portrait and viewer. 

At a time when Queer visibility and representation is essential, Lopez sees himself as an artistic archivist, visually representing the culturally diverse, intergenerational landscape that is the Queer community. Whether he’s painting a celebrity or a community local, his intention is to artistically assure that the contributions, memories and legacies of his subjects are captured in time, immortalized in oil on canvas.