René de Jesus Peña Gonzalez (born in 1957 in

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Cuban Cuban or Cubans may refer to: Related to Cuba * of or related to Cuba, a country in the Caribbean * Cubans, people from Cuba, or of Cuban descent ** Cuban exile, a person who left Cuba for political reasons, or a descendant thereof * Cuban Americ ...

photographer. His photographs have been in exhibitions in Cuba (Havana),

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, and the United States (

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

History

René Peña graduated from the

University of Havana The University of Havana (UH; ) is a public university located in the Vedado district of Havana, the capital of Cuba. Founded on 5 January 1728, the university is the oldest in Cuba, and one of the first to be founded in the Americas. Originall ...

with a specialization in English. He took his first pictures with his family camera at the age of eight years but has never had any formal training. His work focuses on the duality between human inability to escape institutionalization and human desire for individualism. Peña's photography is characterized by stark contrasts, between black and white, subject and background, subject and object. Peña's need for contrast is also reflected in his place of residence. He inhabits the Cerro neighbourhood of Havana which is home to a mostly poor African-Caribbean population, despite having been an enclave of Havana's richest families in the 19th century. Although sometimes compared to

Robert Mapplethorpe Robert Michael Mapplethorpe ( ; November 4, 1946 – March 9, 1989) was an American photographer, best known for his black-and-white photographs. His work featured an array of subjects, including celebrity portraits, male and female Nude (art), n ...

, Peña cites as his influences photographers Eduardo Moñoz Ordoqui and Marta Maria Perez Bravo (both of whom focus on black-and-white photography). As of late, Peña has been experimenting with colour photos, as well as with digital cameras.

Solo exhibitions

*René Peña: Fotografías, Fototeca de Cuba,

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

(2002) *Manmade Materials, Suyama Space,

. *Black + White in Color (w/ Cirenaica Moreira). Couturier Gallery.

Los Angeles, USA Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. (2012)

Collective exhibitions

*Cuba 1960-2000 Sogno e realtà, Fondazione Italiana per la Fotografia,

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

(2002) *Latin American Artist Photographers from the de Lehigh University Art Gallery Collection,

Lehigh University Lehigh University (LU), in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States, is a private university, private research university. The university was established in 1865 by businessman Asa Packer. Lehigh University's undergraduate programs have been mixed ...

(2001) *Passionately Cuban, University Art Museum, State University of New York at Albany,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

(2001). * Queloides: Race and Racism in Cuban Contemporary Art, Havana-Pittsburgh-New York City-Cambridge, Ma. (2010-2012) * Drapetomania: Grupo Antillano and the Art of Afro-Cuba (2013) * First national Festival of Video Art at The Ludwig Foundation of Cuba (2001)

References

www.havana-cultura.com

External links

* , Peña's official website
www.artfacts.netwww.artnet.comwww.soycubano.com

www.worthpoint.comwww.panamericanart.com
Date of birth missing (living people) 1957 births Living people 20th-century Cuban male artists 20th-century photographers 21st-century Cuban male artists 21st-century photographers Artists from Havana Cuban photographers Monochrome photography University of Havana alumni {{cuba-artist-stub

History

Solo exhibitions

Collective exhibitions

See also

References

External links