Spotlight Artist

Edison Peñafiel

South
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LOS NADIES: ¡Alerta, alerta, alerta!

Colorful mural of people raising fists in protest with bold, geometric text above.

acrylic on canvas, fabric, and wood

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Colorful mural of people raising fists in protest with bold, geometric text above.
Subscriber accessSubscribe to gain full access to all artworksSubscribe
Colorful mural of people raising fists in protest with bold, geometric text above.
Featured in New American Paintings1 / 3

Artist Statement

Peñafiel’s works unravel the grim tapestry of our world, a chaotic realm entrenched in the cyclical grip of history and politics. His immersive installations serve as a raw mirror reflecting the relentless struggles faced by the marginalized and downtrodden, revealing the insidious workings of prevailing power structures.

Across a diverse array of mediums, from sculpture to animation, Peñafiel crafts visceral experiences that thrust viewers into a disconcerting confrontation with the unsettling paradoxes of contemporary existence. Through a fusion of projection and physicality, he blurs the line between reality and illusion, forcing audiences to grapple with the tangible consequences of our shared reality.

Drawing from the disquieting aesthetics of German Expressionism and the omnipresent gaze of surveillance, Peñafiel’s visual language captures the pervasive anxieties that haunt our society. Distorted lines and disorienting angles embody the oppressive forces of bureaucracy, the ruthless control over human movement, and the dehumanizing rituals of labor.

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