Peter D. Gerakaris is an artist whose multifaceted practice spans painting, murals, mosaics, origami sculptures and books, and large-scale installations. Raised in New Hampshire and now based in Northwestern Connecticut—after nearly two decades maintaining a New York City studio—Gerakaris creates vibrant, intricate works that explore the complexity of our relationship with the environment. Often depicting flora, fauna, and ecological systems as phantasmagorical collages, his art reflects the fragmented interplay of beauty and fragility in the natural world.
He earned his BFA from Cornell University and his MFA from Hunter College, where he was awarded the Tony Smith Prize. His works are represented in notable permanent collections including the National Museum of Wildlife Art (WY), the Berkshire Botanical Garden (MA), the NYC Department of Education, the U.S. Department of State Art in Embassies Program (Gabon), Capital One, Citibank, and Roanoke College (VA), as well as private collections such as Beth Rudin DeWoody and the William Lim Living Collection (Hong Kong).
Gerakaris has completed numerous public art commissions for institutions such as Cornell Tech, Bergdorf Goodman, The Surrey Hotel, and the Berkshire Botanical Garden, and created a 116-foot mosaic installation through the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Percent for Art Program at PS101K in Brooklyn. His work has been exhibited internationally at the Museum of Arts and Design, Bronx Museum, Hudson River Museum, Whatcom Museum, James Museum, Bruce Museum, Wave Hill, Chinese Contemporary (Beijing), Carol Corey Fine Art (CT), the National Academy of Fine Arts, and the Mykonos Biennale, as well as at art fairs including Scope, Doors (Seoul), and Art on Paper New York.
A recipient of The Nature Conservancy’s Andy Warhol Preserve Residency Grant and the EcoArt Project Award, Gerakaris has been featured in Architectural Digest, The Financial Times, The New York Times, and W Magazine. In addition to preparing upcoming solo projects in New York City and Washington, D.C., he continues to pursue site-specific commissions that engage ecology, craft, and culture on both intimate and monumental scales. He has also served two terms on Cornell University’s College of Architecture, Art & Planning Alumni Advisory Council and is an avid guitarist.
Join us for an inspiring 90-minute artist talk with Peter D. Gerakaris, whose kaleidoscopic artworks bridge the Nature-Culture divide through a distinct blend of traditional techniques and contemporary vibrancy. Gerakaris will share insights into his interdisciplinary approach that spans painting, murals, mosaics, and origami sculptures, and discuss how his "Icon Series," "AquaVerse," "Post-Pop Botanic," and "Mask" series explore the boundaries between analog and digital. Known for his vibrant color palette and detailed renderings of endangered flora and fauna, Gerakaris' work challenges our perceptions and invites us to reconsider our relationship with the environment.
Don’t miss this chance to experience the mind behind the art that “tickles the retina and mind” with each dynamic composition, reflecting his passion for reconnecting us with the natural world.
This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant program, aprogram of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochuland the New York State Legislature and administered by Flushing Town Hall.
This project is made possible in part with public funds from the Queens Arts Fund, a re-grant program supported by New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by New York Foundation for the Arts.