Meet Peter Cowen | Queer Artist and Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Peter Cowen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Peter, why did you pursue a creative career?
To be honest, I don’t feel like I pursued it as much as it pursued me (cheesy.. I know). In fact, I actively rejected any type of career in art because I thought it was too impractical and that I would never be good enough. I thought I would end up broke and disappointed that I didn’t have what it takes to make it. I listened to the voices of others that said it would be too hard and put my dreams of being an artist in a box and stored it away like a cherished childhood toy.

Drawing has been a passion of mine since I was young. It served as an escape, whether it was drawing my own Yu-Gi-Oh cards, building my own Lord of the Rings RISK game board, or drawing all over my notebook paper and assignments during school. Art was a refuge during challenging times, a means of visually chronicling my thoughts and emotions. When I was battling depression or navigating through periods of confusion, picking up a pen and drawing became my therapeutic outlet.

So, while my artistic journey may have started with resistance and doubt, it evolved into an integral part of who I am. Drawing, for me, is not just a creative pursuit; it’s a lifeline that has repeatedly saved me, okay, now I’m getting really cheesy, so I’ll stop.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is for the QUEERS. I want other queer people to see themselves in my work and to feel free to express their authentic selves. I grew up in a very conservative Korean-American church, where I quickly learned to hide and be ashamed of who I really was. It wasn’t until I was 28 that I finally came out and began a whole new journey of self-discovery and acceptance. My work explores themes of sexual repression, the struggles of basically going through puberty all over again in my late twenties and early thirties, and the impact of religious trauma. I also examine being a child of an immigrant, single mother trying to find their place in a country that would not recognize me as their own, as well as, a culture that would always see me as an outsider. While at the same time, attempting to understand my privilege in this country due to my proximity to whiteness. I try to love more of who I am with every piece I make and express who I am with full vulnerability, because I think that is the point of making art.

As for how I got to where I am now, it took me a while to actually start pursuing art because I had so much self-doubt. I just did what everyone else was doing. I followed the rules and I stayed in my lane. I went to school for biology and was pre-med, thinking that becoming a doctor was my destiny and how I was going to “glorify god with my life”. But when that didn’t work out I had to adjust. I worked in restaurants to do anything besides science, and since I worked nights I would spend my mornings in coffee shops drawing. But, once again I felt the need to be practical, so I reluctantly got a job in an ophthalmology lab as a researcher (because that’s all I could do with my degree). Seeing how miserable I was, my sister told me I should take a UX/UI bootcamp. I had never even heard of UX before but it seemed more interesting that ophthalmology and that’s how I entered the world of tech as a designer. I enjoyed doing something that finally felt like a creative outlet, but quickly became discouraged when I felt like the sole purpose of my work was to make money. It all felt so meaningless and I was guided to create art once again. I bought an ipad and fell in love with digital art. I spent any time I had outside of work to draw, creating a mini webtoon, a collection of larger pieces I titled “CH40S”, and a series of characters that celebrate gender fluidity.

While starting over at 32 in the art world has its challenges, I’m excited to align myself with the calling I’ve felt since childhood. My art is a testament to resilience, individuality, and the power of embracing one’s true identity.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I don’t really have friends because I’m a bit of a loner, but I’ll pretend for the sake of this interview. We’re definitely going on a food tour. I love Korean food and luckily LA has some of the best in the world. We’d hit up some of my favorite spots like Yuchun, Quarters, Ddonggo, Jjan, and Two Hands Korean corn dogs. We’ll also stop by Daiso to get some cute stuff. We’ll go to my favorite museums and galleries like the Broad and Hauser and Wirth. We might also go book shopping at Book Soup, followed by a show at the Roxy. Leo’s tacos after going to the beach is also a must.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I love to read and books play a big part in inspiring my work. Recently, a book I loved was “Tell Me How To Be” by Neel Patel. It’s a beautiful story of a son and mother who’s lives unfold along side each other. But a veil of misunderstanding between them blinds them to this. The book is written with so much of Patel’s heart that it took me back to my own upbringing of going to events at my Korean church, how tightly knit immigrant communities can be, and the fears of growing up queer in that world. I believe that we still need so much more queer representation in media and art. I also want to see it from all perspectives. All people experience similar emotions but we each have a unique story here on earth and we can learn so much from each other and grow by hearing each other’s stories.

Website: jellyborg.net

Other: Shop: loveronline.net Webtoon: https://cuti3s.webflow.io/ Design: https://contra.com/pcowen3_mnvyx6la