Juan José Ricardo Peña (Jota)

Juan José Ricardo Peña (Jota) is a Cuban visual artist who trained at El Alba Professional Academy of Visual Arts in Holguín and graduated from the University of the Arts (ISA) in Havana. His practice centers on a critical reflection of daily life, memory, and the power structures that shape individual identity. Working across sculpture, installation, printmaking, and new media, Jota repurposes everyday objects to provoke dialogues surrounding freedom, manipulation, and the tensions between the individual and grand historical narratives.

Since 2016, he has built a consistent exhibition record, highlighted by solo and two-person shows such as El anzuelo como elemento de subsistencia (2016), Por cuenta propia (2019), Un cuento que no cuenta nada (2025), and Crear, Creer y Coexistir (2026). In parallel, his work has been featured in major group exhibitions and emerging art platforms both in Cuba and internationally, including Prisma 10, Malayerba, Post-12, the 14th Havana Biennial, collaborative projects with the Polytechnic University of Valencia, and the Romerías de Mayo festival.

Jota’s work has earned several accolades, including the Acquisition Prize at the 3rd edition of Malayerba (2025), a Special Mention at the 28th Holguín Provincial Visual Arts Salon (2019), and a Collateral Prize at the XX Camagüey Students Salon (2018). His pieces are held in notable institutional and private collections, such as the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Holguín Art Center, ISA, and the Los Carbonell Foundation.