Edison Peñafiel (b. 1985, Ecuador) is an Ecuadorian American artist based in Miami, Florida, United States.
Born in Ecuador, Edison Peñafiel migrated to the United States to leave the political and economic instability of his native country. His singular style integrates video and multimedia installation to create surreal echoes of our world, environments that translate experience. His work centers the migrant as a subject, informed by his own life.
His early photography focuses on deconstruction and perception, absurdity and politics. The use of a camera plays with evidence, fact, and their manipulation in media. Socio-economic and political themes deepened with his shift to multimedia installations. By introducing looping video projections, Peñafiel imitates the loops that make up our history and present. His visions show people trapped in behaviors of movement and labor, always being watched.
Later installations heighten the interaction between physical and virtual elements, creating worlds for the viewer to step into — worlds at the same time bizarre and familiar. These bring together the themes of his earlier works and the use of provocative imagery to evoke social realities while evolving into fully immersive experiences.
Peñafiel has presented his work in numerous large scale projects, site-specific installations, and immersive installations, appearing at the Bass Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami, the Orlando Museum of Art, the Elsewhere Museum, the Atlantic Center for the Arts, and the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale. Notable awards include: the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art, and the South Florida Cultural Consortium Fellowship.
Education
2016
BFA Interdisciplinary Arts [Summa Cum Laude] Art History [Minor] - Florida International University, Miami, FL
Solo exhibitions (selection)
2023
Run, Run, Run Like the Wind. Museum of Contemporary Art. Curated by Adeze Wilfrod. Florida, USA.
2021
MARE MAGNVM. Sabrina Amrani. Madrid, Spain.
2021
MARE MAGNVM: La llegada. Sabrina Amrani. Madrid, Spain.
2021
Camposcuro. David Castillo, Miami, FL, USA
2020
Land Escape Paintings. Atchugarry Art Center, Miami, FL , USA.
2020
The Persistent Caravan. The Projects, FAT Village, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.
2019
Land Escape. The Bass Museum, Miami Beach, FL, USA. Curated by Leilani Lynch.
2019
Florida Prize in Contemporary Art. Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando, FL, USA. Curated by Coralie Claeyzen-Gleyzon & Hansen Mulford.
2019
Reenactments of a Perpetual Cycle. 100W Corsicana, Corsicana, TX, USA.
2018
Ni Aquí, Ni Allá. Elsewhere Museum, Greensboro, NC,USA
2017
And it's Going To Be Great!. Projects, FAT Village, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.
2017
Sempiterno. Centre Gallery at University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
2016
It Is So Because It's Always Been So. Centre Gallery at University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
2013
Paradojas / Paradoxes. Project Fine Art Gallery, Ft Lauderdale, FL, USA.
Group exhibitions (selection)
2024
La Poli/Gráfica de Puerto Rico: América Latina y el Caribe. Bajo presión / Under pressure. Antiguo Arsenal de la Marina Española. San Juan, Puerto Rico.
2023
Song of Simple Things. Mahara + Co. Miami, FL, USA.
2023
Phygital Cities of the Future. Mad Arts. Dania Beach, Florida, USA.
2022
History in Fragments. Sabrina Amrani. Madrid, Spain.
2022
Lean-to. Oolite's 2022. Curated by Leilani Lynch. Miami, FL, USA.
2021
Inside Feelings, Outside Voices: Reflections From Miami. Green Space Miami, Miami, FL, USA
2021
Bienalsur : Punto de Fuga. Curated by Marina Aguerre. Centro de Arte Universidad Nacional de la Plata. La Plata, Argentina.
2021
Conflict Point. McColl Center. Charlotte, NC, USA.
2021
BUM BUM BA YE [Under Pressure].Sabrina Amrani. Madrid, Spain.
2020
Make America What America Must Become. Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, USA. Curated by George Scheer and Katrina Neumann.
2020
Life During Wartime. USF Contemporary Art Museum, Tampa, FL, USA
2020
Exposed: 12th Annual Exhibition.Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, FL, USA. Curated by Meaghan Kent.
2020
Ver Versus Ver. Sabrina Amrani, Madrid, Spain
2020
El Raft de Madeinusa. The Camp Gallery at Sagamore, Miami Beach, FL, USA
2020
The Persistent Caravan. The Projects, FAT Village, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
2020
A Posteriori.Liliana Bloch Gallery. Dallas, TX, USA
2019
South Florida Cultural Consortium. Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami, Miami, FL, USA. Curated by Amy Galpin.
2019
Miami New Media Festival. Laundromat Art Space & Doral Contemporary Art Museum, Little Haiti, FL, USA.
2018
Florida Biennial. Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, Hollywood, FL , USA. Curated by Laura Marsh, Juror: Sarah Fritchey.
2018
Smash and Grab. Locust Projects, Miami, FL, USA.
2016
RE: Produce. Bailey Contemporary Arts, Pompano Beach, FL, USA. Curated by Lisa Rockford.
2016
The Space Between. The Screening Room, Miami, FL, USA. Curated by Jesus Petroccini & Crisbeth Ortega.
2016
I Vomit When I Think. Bakehouse Art Complex, Miami, FL, USA.
2016
27th University Exhibition. Juror: James Hyde. Atlantic Center for the Arts, New Smyrna Beach, FL, USA.
2016
18/8.9. Bakehouse Art Complex, Miami, FL, USA. Curated by Brittni Winkler.
2015
In this Moment. Little Haiti Cultural Center, Miami, FL, USA. Curated by Marie Vickles.
2015
7th Biennial. Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, Hollywood, FL, USA. Curated by Marissa Pascucci, Elizabeth Cerejido.
2015
Escape. Gallery 1310, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA. Curated by Nikolaos Yulis.
2014
Pixel Box. Wolfsonian Museum FIU, Miami, FL, USA. Curated by Carmen Tiffany.
2014
Manifest Destiny. Little Haiti Cultural Center, Miami, FL, USA. Curated by Marie Vickles.
2014
Freshly Squeezed. Foto33 & Dina Mitrani Gallery, Miami, FL, USA. Curated by Jesus Petroccini.
2013
6th Biennial. Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, Hollywood, FL, USA. Curated by H. Braithwaite & Gean Moreno.
2013
Too Much is not Enough. Little Haiti Cultural Center, Miami, FL, USA. Curated by Marie Vickles.
2013
(Un)common Traces. Dwelling Projects & ActivistArtistA, Boynton Beach, FL, USA.
2013
Paper Plane.Dwelling Projects & ActivistArtistA, Boynton Beach, FL, USA.
2013
Art Bravo. ArtSERVE, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.
2013
Faces Exposed.ArtSERVE, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.
2013
Converging. North Hall Gallery, Davie, FL, USA.
2012
Exposures. North Hall Gallery, Davie, FL, USA.
2012
At Your Own Risk.Broward College Fine Arts Gallery, Davie, FL, USA.
2011
Photography. North Hall Gallery, Davie, FL, USA.
2011
From Here…. Broward College Fine Arts Gallery, Davie, FL, USA.
2011
Be Inspired!. Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.
Fairs
2024
ARCOmadrid. Sabrina Amrani. Madrid, Spain.
2023
Art Düsseldorf. Sabrina Amrani. Düsseldorf, Germany.
2022
ARCOmadrid. Sabrina Amrani. Madrid, Spain.
2021
ARCOmadrid. Sabrina Amrani. Madrid, Spain.
Residencies
2023
Oolite Arts' Home + Away travel residency, MASS MoCA. Massachusetts, USA.
2021
McColl Center For Art + Innovation, Charlotte, NC, USA
2021
Home + Away, Oolite Arts & Anderson Ranch. Snowmass, CO, USA
2020
Mad, Denia Beach, FL, USA
2020
Fat Village. Fort Lauderdale, Fl, USA
2019
100 W Corsicana - Corsicana, TX, USA.
2018
Elsewhere Museum - Greensboro, NC
2017
Fågelbo Artist Residency - WILDBEAST Collective, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.
2013
To Ecuador and Back! Artist Residency - Dwelling Projects & DeFactors, Manglar Alto, Santa Elena, Ecuador
Awards
2022
Premio ARCO Comunidad de Madrid 2022. Madrid, Spain.
2020
Creative Investment Program Grant. Broward County Culture Divisio, FL, USA
2020
Emergency Grant. Foundation for Contemporary Arts, NY, USA
2020
Alumni Relief Grant. Elsewhere Museum, NC, USA
2020
Visual Artist Relief Grant. Betancourt- Latorre Foundation, FL, USA
2019
Knight Arts Challenge Miami - The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Miami, FL, USA.
2019
South Florida Cultural Consortium Fellowship - Broward County Cultural Division, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.
2019
Florida Prize in Contemporary Art - Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando, FL, USA.
2019
Creative Investment Program Grant- Broward County Cultural Division, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.
2019
Navarro Council for the Arts Residency Grant – Navarro County, Corsicana, TX, USA.
2019
100 W Residency Funding Award - 100 W, Corsicana, TX, USA.
2018
Juror’s Pick Award - Florida Biennial, Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, Hollywood, FL, USA.
2016
Honorable Mention Award - RE: Produce, Bailey Contemporary Arts, Pompano Beach, FL, USA.
2013
Faces Exposed Best in Show Award - ArtServe, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.
2013
Art Bravo First Place Award - ArtServe, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.
2012
Merit Award - Fine Arts Gallery, Broward College, Davie, FL, USA.
Publications
Land Escape - Pierro Atchugarry Gallery - 2020
Public collections
CA2M, Centro de Arte 2 de Mayo. Madrid, Spain.