Edison Peñafiel

The Catalina Hotel & Beach Club
Edison Peñafiel
Florida Florarium

Miami-based visual artist Edison Peñafiel is known for his large-scale, immersive installations that explore migration, memory and systems of power. Drawing from personal and collective histories, his work blends symbolic imagery with expressive materiality to create contemplative environments that speak to transformation and resilience.

Peñafiel’s practice integrates textiles, video and sculpture to construct spaces where myth and reality converge. Influenced by the visual language of German Expressionism, his works often unfold as dreamlike landscapes—charged with both beauty and unease. Whether through monumental curtains or stitched floral compositions, he invites viewers to move through spaces of quiet upheaval and reflection.

His recent solo exhibitions include MARE MAGNVM: A Floridian Odyssey, at the USF Contemporary Art Museum (2024), Barrio Alto at the Coral Springs Museum of Art, and Run, Run, Run Like the Wind at the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami (2023). Internationally, his work has been presented at Sabrina Amrani Gallery in Madrid, Trienal Poli/Gráfica in Puerto Rico, and BIENALSUR in Argentina. In addition to his studio practice, Peñafiel curated Concrete Facade at Dot Fifty One Gallery, exploring themes of urbanity and materiality.

Peñafiel is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art, the Knight Foundation Award, the Ellies Creator Award, and the Premio ARCO Comunidad de Madrid. He is a current resident of the Oolite Arts Living Arts Residency and maintains a studio in Miami Beach through the residency program. Recently awarded an Artistic Production grant from the VIA Art Fund, Peñafiel is developing De Profundis Clamavi ad Astra, a 360-degree immersive installation debuting at Locust Projects during Miami Art Week 2026 and traveling to the Orlando Museum of Art. His work is included in the collections of Oolite Arts, Elsewhere Museum, and CA2M (Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo) in Madrid. He is represented by Sabrina Amrani Gallery.