December 9, 2022 – January 27, 2022

“I feel like Familial works as a show title because my umbrella subject throughout the series is family. Additionally, the work, in general, is related.” – Peña

Memphis-based visual artist and educator, Peña creates art to reflect his perception of the contemporary American landscape and the effects that ideal has on our shared environment and national psyche. His paintings and installations play off the contrasts between past and present, representation and abstraction, and stability and instability.

Cubes, chevrons, and other abstract geometric shapes are often incorporated into his paintings and act as visual building blocks. By placing these patterns into a repeating sequence, thereby creating partial tessellations, Peña looks to see how these shapes can be simplified. He also takes the idea of a mat that would traditionally frame a painting and physically transforms the mat into part of the work, no longer separating them. This effect not only adds another layer to the painting but also extends the visual story. The mats are drawn digitally and then transferred and cut onto Sintra board, a type of durable PVC foam. More.