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 widely 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 is included in the permanent collections of The Phillips Collection, Miami-Dade County Art in Public Places, and numerous private collections. She was awarded a Miami-Dade Individual Artists Grant in 2024, 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 Biennale de la Photographie de Mulhouse, France; Houston Center for Photography, Houston, Texas; Photographic Resource Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts; 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)
SELECTED RECENT EXHIBITIONS
2024
(Im)possible Worlds, PEP x BPM, LA KunsTURM, Biennale de la Photographie de Mulhouse, Mulhouse, France
Exposure 2024, juried by Samantha Johnston, Photographic Resource Center at Lesley University, Cambridge, MA
41st Center Annual, juried by Leo Hsu, Houston Center for Photography, Houston, TX
Size Matters, juried by Crista Dix, Medium Festival of Photography, Atheneaum Art Center, San Diego, CA
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
* 2-person exhibition, Surface Encounters, Formerly Was Gallery, Washington, D.C.
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 Outside, Upside Down, juried invitational, The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C.
UnBound10!, Candela Gallery, Richmond, Virginia
Controlled Burn, but-also, Washington, D.C.
2020
* Solo exhibition, American Scrapbook, SOLOS 2020, Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington, Arlington, VA
* Solo exhibition, American Miniature (collaboration), artspace, Richmond, VA
New Photography II, juried by Philip Brookman, Academy Art Museum, Easton, MD
Lost/Found, Katzen Arts Center, American University, Washington, D.C.
2019
* Solo exhibition, American Miniature (collaboration), 621 Gallery, Tallahassee, FL
Surfacing, The Mansion at Strathmore, Bethesda, MD (4-person exhibition)
Lost/Found, Studio Gallery, Washington, D.C.
BTP x Monochrome, presented by Halcyon, Washington, D.C.
2018
* Solo exhibition, American Miniature (collaboration), Pellissippi State Community College, Knoxville, TN
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
* Solo exhibition, Rust Sun Bible Corn, The Delaplaine Arts Center, Frederick, MD
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
* Solo exhibition, Rust Sun Bible Corn, VisArts, Rockville, MD
* Solo exhibition, Ekphrasis, Hillyer Art Space, Washington, D.C.
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
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)
AWARDS and HONORS
2023
South Florida Cultural Consortium (SFCC) Grant to Visual Artists, full award, Miami, FL
Permanent collection acquisition, Miami-Dade County Art in Public Places, Miami, FL
2022
Artist Access Grant, Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, Miami, FL
2021
Permanent collection acquisition, The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C.
Arts & Humanities Fellowship Program Grant, FY2021, D.C. Commission on the Arts & Humanities, Washington, D.C.
2019
Flash Forward Competition top 100 winner, The Magenta Foundation
CENTER Review Santa Fe 100 photographer, Santa Fe, NM
2016
Semifinalist, 90th Annual International Competition, The Print Center, Philadelphia, PA
2014
Finalist, The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards, Bethesda, MD
2013
Semifinalist, Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize, Baltimore, MD
PRESS and FEATURES
2024
Issue 177, Fraction Magazine. Leo Hsu and Bree Lamb, Fractionmagazine.com, July
The Tide Rises. Der Greif Guest Room: Boaz Levin & Sophia Greiff, DerGreif.org, May
2023
Lenscratch artist feature. Daniel George, Lenscratch.com, May 1
2022
“Mixed Media and Photography Collide in Surface Encounters.” Louis Jacobson, Washington City Paper, April 26
2021
“American Scrapbook”, Panorama, international collaborative project and digital platform, panorama.pm
“City Lights: Inside Outside, Upside Down: 64 Artists Opine on 2020.” Louis Jacobson, Washington City Paper, Aug. 9
2020
“American Blues.” W. Scott Olsen, LensCulture.com, June 30
2019
Issue 128, Fraction Magazine. Bree Lamb, Fractionmagazine.com, November
2018
“The Best Photo Exhibits of 2018.” Louis Jacobson, Washington City Paper, Dec. 5
“In the galleries: That’s Why I’m Here.” Mark Jenkins, The Washington Post, April 28
2017
“With excellent Exposure, PRC bids farewell to BU.” Mark Feeney, The Boston Globe, May 5
“Exposure 2017.” Elin Spring, What Will You Remember, whatwillyouremember.com, May 16
2015
“In the galleries: Two photographers, two perspectives.” Mark Jenkins, The Washington Post, Aug. 8
“Rust Sun Bible Corn by Kim Llerena.” Alexis Lodsun, Juxtapoz.com, March 31
2013
“Out of Order at MAP.” The List, ABC15 News, April 3
2012
“Staging Over Manipulation.” Lee Gardner, Baltimore City Paper, Feb. 22