
René Peña
René de Jesús Peña González (Havana, 1957) is a distinguished self-taught photographer and a graduate in English Language from the Higher Pedagogical Institute for Foreign Languages at the University of Havana. Since 1991, he has presented numerous solo exhibitions both in Cuba and abroad, including notable appearances at the VI Havana Biennial and galleries in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Spain, Haiti, and Germany. His work explores themes of identity, rituals, and corporeality, earning him recognition as a significant figure in Cuban visual arts.
Over the years, Peña has also participated in a wide range of international group exhibitions, such as the 2022 Dakar Biennale, the XI Festival of Photography and Video in the Dominican Republic, and showcases across Europe, Africa, and Latin America. His art has been featured in renowned institutions, including the Museum of Fine Arts in Rennes, France, and the Larivière Foundation in Argentina. These opportunities highlight his contributions to contemporary Cuban art and his ability to connect local themes with global perspectives.
Peña’s work is part of esteemed collections worldwide, such as the National Museum of Fine Arts in Cuba, the Southeast Museum of Photography in the United States, the MALBA in Argentina, and private collections in Switzerland, Germany, and the United Kingdom. This broad recognition underscores the global relevance of his work and its enduring impact.
Among his many accolades, Peña received First Prize at the 2002 Caribbean Biennial and the Distinction for Cuban Culture from the Cuban Ministry of Culture. His work has been extensively documented in international publications, further cementing his role as a key contributor to Cuban photography and contemporary Cuban art.
Curriculum
National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
Nuestra América Collection, Casa de las Américas, Havana, Cuba.
Fototeca de Cuba, Havana, Cuba.
Habana Gallery, Havana, Cuba.
Ludwig Foundation of Cuba, Havana, Cuba.
Reinhard Schultz Collection, Germany.
Toscano Photographic Archive, Italy.
Southeast Museum of Photography, Daytona, USA.
Houston Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, USA.
Duhran Contemporary Art Gallery, New Mexico, USA.
Throckmorton Fine Arts, New York, USA.
Hainaut Province Collection, Belgium.
Lehigh University, Pennsylvania, USA.
Beatrice Liaskowski Collection, Zurich, Switzerland.
Reynald Lally Collection, Haiti/USA.
Farber Collection, Florida, USA.
MALBA (Latin American Art Museum of Buenos Aires), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Andreas Winkler Collection, Zurich, Switzerland/Havana, Cuba.
Factoría Habana, Havana, Cuba.
Contemporary Afro-Cuban Art Collection by Chris von Christierson, London, UK.
The Mattress Factory, Pittsburgh, USA.
Harvard University Latin American Studies Institute, USA.
Henry Louis Gates Jr. Collection, Cambridge, USA.
North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, USA.