Rene Peña

René Peña is from Havana and is a self-taught photographer.  He studied English at the Instituto Superior Pedagogico de Lenguas Extranjeras, Universidad de La Habana, Cuba. His main interest is the relation and contradiction between being and individual and at the same time a social being.  In his work, Peña explores the differences that limit social and ethnic minorities.  He uses his own body to represent stereotypes implanted by a tradition of  a white and western way of thinking. The result of his work are impactful images, that with their sobriety of color and strong messages captivate any sensitive viewer.  He is considered one of Cuba’s most important photographers. His works can be found in the Colecciones del Archivio FotograficoToscano in Italy, Fototeca de Cuba in Havana, the Fundación Ludwig of Cuba, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston.   See René Peña in Havana Cultura, click