Kim Llerena is a photographic artist based in Miami, Florida. She holds an MFA in Photographic & Electronic Media from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and a BA in Journalism from New York University (NYU). She exhibits nationally in addition to serving as full-time faculty at the University of Miami. Her work explores our constructed relationship to place and the various ways it manifests in spaces both public and private.
Llerena’s work is in the permanent collections of The Phillips Collection, Miami-Dade County Art in Public Places, and numerous private collections. She was awarded a South Florida Cultural Consortium Grant in 2023, a Miami-Dade Artist Access Grant in 2022, and a D.C. Commission on the Arts & Humanities Fellowship Program Grant in 2021. She was a 2019 Magenta Foundation Flash Forward Competition top 100 winner and a 2019 CENTER Review Santa Fe 100 photographer. She has been featured in Lenscratch, LensCulture, Fraction Magazine, The Washington Post, and numerous other publications. Recent exhibitions include the Art and Culture Center, Hollywood, Florida; Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans, Louisiana; The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C.; Candela Gallery, Richmond, Virginia; and Academy Art Museum, Easton, Maryland.
kim@kimllerena.com | CV (.PDF)
SOLO and TWO-PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2022
Surface Encounters, Formerly Was Gallery, Washington, D.C. (2-person exhibition)
2020
American Scrapbook, SOLOS 2020, Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington, Arlington, VA
American Miniature (collaboration), artspace, Richmond, VA
2019
American Miniature (collaboration), 621 Gallery, Tallahassee, FL
2018
American Miniature (collaboration), Pellissippi State Community College, Knoxville, TN
2017
Rust Sun Bible Corn, The Delaplaine Arts Center, Frederick, MD
2015
Rust Sun Bible Corn, VisArts, Rockville, MD
Ekphrasis, Hillyer Art Space, Washington, D.C.
2012
Ekphrasis, MFA Thesis Exhibition III, Decker Gallery, MICA, Baltimore, MD
2011
Nowhere More Familiar, Gateway Gallery, MICA, Baltimore, MD
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023
South Florida Cultural Consortium (SFCC) Grant Winners Exhibition, Art and Culture Center, Hollywood, FL
9th International Juried Exhibition, juried by Paula Tognarelli, RI Center for Photographic Arts, Providence, RI
Collector’s Night 2023, presented by Washington Project for the Arts (WPA), Washington, D.C.
2022
Currents 2022, juried by Phillip March Jones, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans, LA
Reverberation: PCNW 25th Juried Exhibition, Photographic Center Northwest, Seattle, WA
Convergence: A Contemporary Photography Exhibition, Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis, IN
2021
Inside Out, Upside Down, juried invitational, The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C.
UnBound10!, Candela Gallery, Richmond, Virginia
Poster Show, but-also, Washington, D.C.
2020
New Photography II, juried by Philip Brookman, Academy Art Museum, Easton, MD
Lost/Found, Katzen Arts Center, American University, Washington, D.C.
CPA Members’ Juried Exhibition, juried by Laura Sackett & Ann Jastrab, Ctr for Photographic Art, Carmel, CA (online)
2019
Surfacing, The Mansion at Strathmore, Bethesda, MD (4-person exhibition)
Lost/Found, Studio Gallery, Washington, D.C.
Art Night 2019, WPA, Hickok Cole Architects, Washington, D.C.
2018
That’s Why I’m Here, curated by Meaghan Kent, Cody Gallery, Arlington, VA (5-person exhibition)
Vox Lacunae, curated by Grace DeWitt, Stamp Gallery, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Narrative, Studio Gallery, Washington, D.C.
2017
Exposure 2017, juried by Sarah Kennel, Photographic Resource Center, Boston University, Boston, MA
PCNW 21st Juried Exhibition, juried by Sandra Phillips of SFMOMA, Photographic Center Northwest, Seattle, WA
The Journey: Photographs Along the Way, juried by Sam Abell, Morean Arts Center, St. Petersburg, FL
2016
90th Annual International Competition, The Print Center, Philadelphia, PA (online exhibition)
Word & Image: Portfolio Showcase, Davis Orton Gallery, Hudson, NY
SPE Combined Caucus Juried Exhibition, juried by Aline Smithson, Living Arts, Tulsa, OK
2015
HCP 33rd Membership Exhibition, juried by Russell Lord, Houston Center for Photography, Houston, TX
Wish You Were Here 14, A.I.R. Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Small Towns, Spokane Art School Gallery, Spokane, WA
2014
The Trawick Prize Finalist Exhibition, Gallery B, Bethesda, MD
Still Life, juried by Rebecca Senf, Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO
35-33-35 Anniversary Show, School 33 Art Center, Baltimore, MD
2013
Sondheim Artscape Prize Semifinalist Exhibition, Decker Gallery, MICA, Baltimore, MD
Regarding Territory, curated by Ginevra Shay, Furthermore Gallery, Washington, D.C.
Smörgåsbord, juried by Paddy Johnson, Gallery CA, City Arts, Baltimore, MD
2012
Voyeurism & Intimacy, juried by Todd Hido, RayKo Photo Center, San Francisco, CA
Young Blood 2012, Maryland Art Place, Baltimore, MD
Staging Over Manipulation, curated by Rod Malin, Guest Spot Art Space, Baltimore, MD (4-person exhibition)
2011
Studious, juried by Shane Lavalette, hosted by Lay Flat and Light Work, Spark Gallery, Syracuse, NY
MFA First Year Show, Pinkard Gallery, MICA, Baltimore, MD