Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Relief For Haiti”
Summary
A benefit screen print showing three young Haitian children clustered together and gazing upward, rendered in a flat, high-contrast portrait style with the word "HAITI" in bold block letters across the bottom and an "Artists for Peace & Justice" mark. Produced as a fundraising edition in response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, it is a humanitarian-relief print rather than a typical gallery edition.
Why It Matters
The print belongs to the wave of artist-driven charity editions that followed the January 2010 Haiti earthquake, where street and screen-print artists lent their imagery to raise money for relief. Its directness — three real children looking back at the viewer, the country's name spelled out beneath them in a tile-pattern banner of green, red, blue, and yellow — uses the visual language of poster/propaganda art for an explicitly humanitarian end. As a small, cause-tied edition it documents a specific moment when the print community mobilized around disaster relief, giving it value as both an object and a piece of social history.
Collector Perspective
A small benefit edition of just 24, which is genuinely scarce by screen-print standards; charity prints from this period were typically hand-pulled in limited runs and sold to fund relief, so survivors in good condition are uncommon. Collectors should confirm signature and numbering, as practice varied across relief editions. Market interest is driven by the cause and the recognizable poster aesthetic more than by speculative demand, so this sits as a niche, mission-driven hold rather than a blue-chip flip.
Historical Context
Created in 2010 in the immediate aftermath of the catastrophic Haiti earthquake, the print was issued in connection with Artists for Peace and Justice, an organization founded to support education and relief in Haiti. The era saw a surge of limited-edition prints released by artists to channel proceeds toward disaster recovery, and this work sits squarely within that charitable print movement.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
Three young Haitian children grouped together looking upward, rendered in a flat high-contrast style, with the word HAITI in large block letters across a patterned banner at the bottom and an Artists for Peace & Justice mark.
What is the edition size?
The edition is limited to 24, which is small and scarce for a screen print.
Is it signed and numbered?
As a limited benefit edition it would typically be numbered out of 24; buyers should verify signature and numbering directly, since practice varied across relief prints of this period.
What medium is it?
It is a hand-pulled screen print on paper.
Why was it made?
It was produced as a fundraising/relief edition tied to Artists for Peace & Justice following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, with proceeds supporting humanitarian efforts in Haiti.
Related Works
About the Artist
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) is an American artist known for stark, high-contrast scenes of violence, power and social conflict, rendered in a flat, limited palette of black, white, red and gold. His chaotic compositions of fighting, clubbing and writhing figures expose the abuse of power and the brutality beneath civilization’s surface, drawing on classical Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art. A frequent collaborator with Shepard Fairey, he shows internationally; his prints, sculptures and editions are widely collected in the urban-contemporary market.
Collecting Cleon Peterson at Gauntlet Gallery
Where can I buy authentic Cleon Peterson prints?
Gauntlet Gallery offers an extensive, authenticated inventory of Cleon Peterson prints and contemporary editions, with new drops added regularly. Browse the current collection at gauntlet.gallery.
How does Gauntlet Gallery ensure authenticity?
Gauntlet Gallery is built on curation, authenticity and transparency — every work is vetted and its provenance, edition details and condition are disclosed up front.
Does Gauntlet Gallery add new Cleon Peterson prints?
Yes. New drops are released regularly across Cleon Peterson and other leading artists; see gauntlet.gallery for the latest inventory.