Peter Cordova
b. 1966 ∙ San Francisco, CE artist since 1996
Photo by Peter Prato
Peter Cordova (b. 1966) has decades of experience as an artist specializing in ceramic sculpture and illustration. In his practice, his biggest references are his Filipino heritage and his interest in Indigenous American cultures. A proud member of Creativity Explored for three decades and counting, Cordova invests as much time in supporting and amplifying other artists as he spends on his own making–his artwork and his community building both exemplify his belief in wisdom as an important resource.
In regards to his artistic career, Cordova states, "I want to speak for myself through my art. I try to share my heritage with other people.” His detailed depictions of cultural iconography are illuminated by his application of rich, earthy palettes. In his ceramic practice, Cordova’s hand-building technique emphasized texture and form, his sculptures often speaking directly to the scenes he depicts in his works on paper.
Cordova has participated in over seventy exhibitions nationally throughout the span of his career. His solo show To the Place Where I Grew Upwas exhibited in the Creativity Explored gallery in 2022, featuring dozens of his dynamic works on paper. His work was most recently featured in the exhibition Karl Unseen Histories: AAPI Voices in Contemporary Art, which was on view at Levi’s Plaza in 2025.
Select Exhibitions & Projects
2025
“Limitless,” Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA
“Main Characters,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
“Karl Unseen Histories: AAPI Voices in Contemporary Art,” Levi's Plaza, San Francisco, CA
2024
Outsider Art Fair, New York, NY
“Crip’d Ecologies: Unfurling Expanded Environments,” Root Division, San Francisco, CA
“Claiming Our Space: Contemporary Art and IDD,” Petaluma Arts Center, Petaluma, CA
2023
“Into the Brightness: Artists from Creativity Explored, Creative Growth & NIAD,” Oakland Museum of California, Oakland, CA
2022
“To the Place Where I Grew Up,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
“New Generations, Fertile Ground,” NCEA, Sacramento, CA
2021
“Mode Brut,” Museum of Craft and Design, San Francisco, CA
2020
UNTITLED ART FAIR, San Francisco, CA
2018
California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramic Art 2019, Davis, CA
“Faces and Places in the City,” Eureka Valley/Harvey Milk Memorial Library, San Francisco, CA
2017
Spring-Summer Pop-up, Parlor, San Francisco, CA
2016
“Celebrating a Vision: Art and Disability,” SFO Museum, San Francisco, CA
“Tabula Rasa,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
2015
“Tree of Life,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
2014
“West Coasts,” Museum of La Creation Franche, Begles, France
“INK,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
“Elemental Renditions,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
“A Curious Menagerie,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
2013
Outsider Artists, Oakland International Airport, Oakland, CA
“SIDESHOW,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
“Breaking Barriers: Bay Area Artists with Disabilities,” Marin Community Foundation Offices, Novato, CA
“For the Birds,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
“Peaceable Kingdom: Animals,” Real and Imagined, Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA
2012
“Creativity Explored at Ambach & Rice,” Ambach & Rice, Los Angeles, CA
“Fabulous,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
“Are We There Yet?,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
2011
“Hands on Clay,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
“SMALL,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
“Faces,” Jack Fischer Gallery, San Francisco, CA
“The Masters,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
“4 Real 4 Faux Animating the Vernacular,” Truman State University Art Gallery, Kirksville, MO
“Black and White and Read All Over,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
2010
“Ritual/Habitual,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
“Spectrum,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
“Santos y Otros Creatures,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
2009
“"Science" Fiction,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
“TV and Me,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
“Legend: Myth and Memory,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
2007
“Shadowshine,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
“Naked,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
2006
“Nature Rules, “Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
“Sacred Places,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
“Vessels,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
“Drawing the Line,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
2005
“Revenge of Monster,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
“The Pink Show,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
2004
“Spirits and Saints,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
“Radiant Spaces: Private Domain,” Track 16 Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
“You Are Here,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
“Functionable,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
“Critters,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
“Heads n' Tails,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
2003
“Dialogue Project at Funabashi Cure Gallery,” Funabashi Cure Gallery, Funabashi, Japan
“Monster,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
“Fired and Wired,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
“Japanese Rock n' California Roll,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
“Lit,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
2001
“New Works on Wood,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
