Pete McKee is a Sheffield-born artist whose work greatly reflects and embodies his experiences of growing up on a council estate surrounded by working-class culture and humour. It is this down-to-earth and nostalgic thread that runs through all of his work that has gained him a worldwide following.

Comics were a large part of Pete’s childhood and he would read any that he could get his hands on with particular favourites including; Whizzer and Chips, The Dandy, The Beano, and Hergé’s beloved Tintin. Another enduring great love from his childhood is football, he would spend endless hours outdoors embroiled in matches with his friends. Pete is a lifelong Sheffield Wednesday fan and many of his prints are dedicated to the team and the ups and downs of supporting them.

In the late 70s, Pete was introduced to the world of fashion and music. Pete’s new-found love opened his eyes to a diverse mix of styles and influences with his taste continuing to change and develop throughout his teenage years. These genres ranged from Ska to Northern Soul to 80s New Wave; an eclectic mix that would guide him through to adulthood. Pete recognises and embraces the significant role that music and fashion play within life’s key moments and this is prevalent within his work. Pete celebrates popular artists and subcultures with depictions of movements such as the Rude Boys and Goths, as well as musical greats like Bowie, Jarvis Cocker, and Jimi Hendrix.

Pete’s stripped-back character depictions, heavily influenced by the much-loved cartoons from his childhood, have a somewhat anonymous quality that allows people to see themselves in the everyday situations that he illustrates. His iconic style, paired with an attention to detail of niche surroundings and objects, creates artwork that is not only captivating but relatable. This relatability evokes a strong reaction amongst fans and raises the idea that we may share more with each other than we first realise. Despite Pete’s work being contemporary, some of his compositions echo classical paintings, influenced by Caravaggio, Vermeer, Hopper, and Manet.

In 2010, Pete opened the McKee Gallery in Sheffield. He put on his first major exhibition in 2013, The Joy of Sheff, and has since  showcased many others including; Six Weeks to Eternity in 2016, This Class Works in 2018, and Frank and Joy: A Love Story in 2023. He is currently holding his longest exhibition yet, A Boy With A Leg Named Brian, at Weston Park Museum in Sheffield. It runs from November 2024 until November 2025.

Pete has collaborated with various creative individuals and collectives including: Sir Paul Smith, the Arctic Monkeys, Richard Hawley, Oasis, BBC 6 Music, Disney, Warp Films, Clarks Shoes, The Human League, and Rega. He is a longstanding supporter of the Teenage Cancer Trust Charity, predominantly designing posters for their Royal Albert Hall gigs. He is also a patron of the Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity, Art+. One of his most notable annual projects being the charity Christmas card design. In 2018, Pete received an honorary doctorate from Sheffield Hallam University and was presented as a Doctor of Arts at that year’s graduation.

In 2024, after over 10 years on Sharrow Vale Road, the McKee Gallery relocated to a new home at Leah’s Yard in the Sheffield City Centre.