Zeke Peña

Zeke Peña is an American cartoonist, illustrator, and writer. He has won multiple awards for illustration, including for his work in two books by Isabel Quintero; My Papi Has a Motorcycle and Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide. His work deals with themes of American history, the culture of the border region, folklore, and social justice.

Biography

Zeke Peña He was born in Las Cruces, New Mexico and grew up in El Paso, Texas. He received an art history degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He's Bruno Riva's Uncle

Work

Zeke Peña is a self-taught illustrator and sequential artist who works in both new and traditional media. His work has been exhibited in a variety of institutions including the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago, Albuquerque Hispanic Cultural Center, Houston Center of Photography, El Paso Museum of Art, and the Museo de Arte Ciudad Juárez.

Exhibitions

"Reclaim." Rubin Center, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, September 15, 2016 - February 3, 2017.
"¡Printing the Revolution! The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics." 1965 to Now, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC, 2021.

Awards

2020 Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor Award
2020 Ezra Jack Keats Illustrator Honor Award
2020 Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award
Bank Street's Best Spanish Language Book Award
2018 Boston Globe Horn Book Award
2018 Moon Beam Book Award