In anticipation of her 3rd exhibition at the semiannual Beverly Hills Art Show, Oil painter Peyton Euriah (formerly known as ‘Peyton, The Artist’) gifted the L.A. Sentinel with an exclusive conversation on her background, inspirations, and intentions as a 26-year-old Black artist from Inglewood, CA.
Peyton hails from a household where creativity was cultivated. Her father is an architect and painter, and Peyton acknowledged, “My dad taught me how to draw what I saw and express what I felt.” Being that truth and introspection are values riddled throughout her collections, learning to put her heart and mind onto the canvas was fundamental for her distinct style.
Peyton knew she would always be creative; she didn’t know she’d become a painter. In fact, she was initially drawn to fashion; her mother is an event planner and fashionista, and it was her wardrobe that attracted Peyton into the world of fashion.
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By 10 years old, Peyton recalled, “I got into fashion illustration because I was so hooked on it.
Despite an application with week’s worth of blood, sweat, and tears, Peyton was not accepted into Marist College’s (in Poughkeepsie, NY) fashion department, one of the top 10 collegiate fashion programs in America. However, she was admitted to the college as an undecided major.
Peyton believes it was nothing but God, because within her first semester she inadvertently walked into the Fine Arts department and “immediately felt at home.” After developing a relationship with the director of the Arts program, she showed him small paintings she had created in her dorm to pass the time. White still staring at her work, the director of the arts program said, “Peyton, you’re in.”
With that, Peyton began her rather immediate and astronomical growth as a fine artist, surpassing her own expectations after countless all-nighters and early mornings fine-tuning her craft. She ultimately graduated with a major in Fine Art and a double minor in business and fashion design, even creating her first clothing collection under her company, The Code Studios upon graduation in Spring 2020.
Since then, Peyton has been on path to mastery and refuses to slow her progress. In 2023, Peyton invested into her own solo exhibit and was soon invited to showcase her work in New York City, Atlanta, Miami’s Art Basel, Athens, and Tokyo. She also won Best New Artist at the Beverly Hills Art Show (2023), collaborated with Ralph Lauren on a solo exhibition (2024, and received honors from Compton and the Republic of Chad in Africa.
One of Peyton’s greatest inspirations is travel. Having been to over 30 countries, Peyton said, “When I travel out of the country, it ignites a peaceful flame in my heart.”
To pay homage to the Renaissance art and architecture that molded her artistry while studying abroad in Venice, Italy during the 57th Biennale, 24 karat Venetian gold foil has become a quintessential material included in her pieces. To this day, Peyton orders both her Venetian gold foil and natural pigments from the same small businesses she supported while living in Venice.
Although traveling is an inspiration that fuels her art, Peyton knows God is her source. “I have so much respect for the God that I believe in and serve. I fast when I paint, I’m so zoned in and locked into what I’m doing and nothing else can distract me. I believe that God uses that focus and discipline to speak to me because He has my attention. So I know for a fact that it oozes from me and speaks to people through my artwork.”
“I want to lead people back to God and themselves when they look at my artwork. I want them to ask the hard questions they’ve been avoiding.”
Firmly believing that it’s the artist’s duty to create, Peyton urges, “Even if you don’t feel confident in yourself and your craft, God is confident in you.”
Stay aligned with Peyton Euriah.
Instagram: @peytoneuriah
https://www.peytontheartist.com/
