John Peffer

John Peffer is a Professor of Art History at Ramapo College of New Jersey’s School of Contemporary Arts, joining the faculty in 2009. His research focuses on modern African art, photography, and visual culture, particularly in post-apartheid South Africa. He has received prestigious awards including Fulbright, National Endowment for the Humanities, and Metropolitan Museum of Art fellowships.

• B.A., Indiana University Bloomington
• M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D., Columbia University

Peffer’s scholarly work examines the intersection of global modernity, human rights, and ethics in art and photography. His recent writing explores privacy and legal rights in self-images, while earlier research analyzes apartheid-era visual culture and historiography of African Art History.

Awards include:

• National Gallery of Art Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts Fellow (2021)
• Metropolitan Museum of Art Fellow (2019)
• American Council of Learned Societies Fellow (2018-2019)
• Fulbright CIES Grant (2015)
• Clark Art Institute Fellow (2013)