Special Offer: Get 50% off your first 2 months when you do one of the following
Personalized offer codes will be given in each session
Name
Keny De La Peña
Title
Assistant Director of International Admissions
Bio
Keny De La Peña is a Los Angeles-born interdisciplinary artist, educator, and first-generation college graduate. The son of Mexican immigrants, he holds an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) and double majored in Spanish Literature and World Arts and Cultures (WAC) at UCLA. His artistic practice blends a pursuit of poetics with cultural anthropology, exploring themes of folklore, history, and transformation.
De La Peña’s interest in somatic practices began with his training in Taekwondo, where he earned a second-degree black belt. This martial arts foundation deeply influenced his later work in dance and performance art, shaping his understanding of the body as both a site of expression and ritual. His approach to artmaking is rooted in the belief that crafting itself is a ritualistic performance, a perspective that informs his interdisciplinary practice. He has studied under renowned opera director Peter Sellars and choreographer Ligia Lewis.
De La Peña’s work has been shown at the Hyde Park Art Center and the Chicago Athletic Association. He has also performed at iconic venues such as Royce Hall and Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.
He currently serves as one of the Assistant Directors of International Admissions for the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
De La Peña’s interest in somatic practices began with his training in Taekwondo, where he earned a second-degree black belt. This martial arts foundation deeply influenced his later work in dance and performance art, shaping his understanding of the body as both a site of expression and ritual. His approach to artmaking is rooted in the belief that crafting itself is a ritualistic performance, a perspective that informs his interdisciplinary practice. He has studied under renowned opera director Peter Sellars and choreographer Ligia Lewis.
De La Peña’s work has been shown at the Hyde Park Art Center and the Chicago Athletic Association. He has also performed at iconic venues such as Royce Hall and Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.
He currently serves as one of the Assistant Directors of International Admissions for the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
