Brandt Peters is a self-taught illustrator and designer whose work has garnered international attention from the fine art gallery circuit. His paintings explore the eras of ancient cartoons, Victorian toys and pre-WWI vintage ‘Pop’ ephemera; all fodder from being raised by a family of artists and antique collectors. A world composed of creepy sideshow icons, deviant Animalia, and “masked” glorified cartoon alter egos, these characters and cultures serve as the very antitheses of what is traditionally deemed innocent and socially acceptable.

Although misfits on the surface, a sense of relation is understood: secret from the public, we are all misfits — hiding behind animated personas, odd and beautifully unusual. Who is it that we relate to? The lonely little boy hiding in a bear suit; the evil, lustful pool-hall wolf; the sexualized little girl who secretly wants more. The environment and its limited population are meant to conjure these questions; the viewers must draw their own conclusions. Brandt lives and works in New Mexico with his wife and partner, Kathie Olivas and his two dogs, Bailey and Diego.