Pursuit of Grace at the Stedman Gallery
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Reynier Llanes’ Pursuit of Grace exhibit is currently on display at Rutgers–Camden’s Stedman Gallery until December 13th of 2025. The exhibit features new pieces that debuted at the Stedman Gallery as well as Llanes’ previous works from 2017 through 2024.
In discussion with Llanes’ he shared how his history influences his work, “To be honest in my work I had to have this connection with my culture, because this is who I am. My main source is Cuba, but it also comes from my African heritage. And that way, having this conversation with the visual aspects of the paintings and myself, it creates a diary. And that’s important for me, but it’s not intentional. It’s genuine. It’s my best way to communicate.”
Llanes was born in Cuba and attended Instructores de Arte in Pinar del Rio. He shared how his schooling influenced him to become a professional artist, “We had artists that came to our school and gave us presentations and described sort of what their life looks like. And I was like, you know, if they were able to do it, why not me? And that was like, you know, a force of inspiration that drove me.”
His background in academia, not only as a student but as a professor, is what encourages him to return to institutions like Rutgers for exhibitions. He also shared how his experience as a teacher has shaped his outlook on art:
“I was one day teaching these kids. Actually, they were teaching me because they know how to use color. I was walking by one and he was painting the clouds in yellow and the sun was green. And I was like, I don’t think that’s the way you should paint them and he turned around and said, yeah, but that’s the way I see it. I was like, shocked. I was like, okay, this kid had taught me something very essential. You cannot limit your imagination. And that’s the best way to express yourself.”
Elizabeth Coulter, the Stedman Gallery and collection coordinator, shared her own experience with the Pursuit of Grace exhibition, “I think what’s so moving about this exhibition is, it has a lot of universal themes that people can really relate to. Reynier does a lot of paintings that incorporate symbols that can be interpreted in so many different ways and also give these beautiful access points to different people so that they can build their own perceptions and reactions to the work.”
Llanes also shared advice for students looking to enter creative spaces, “It’s fun to be online. It’s fun to create and share stories and all that kind of stuff, but you need to have connections. You need to have human connection. And also support, again, your institutions because the more you come to these kind of events, you’re going to meet people that may help you later on in your career.”
Coulter shared a similar sentiment, “The gallery is your resource. Beyond just having really cool works to look at and engage with we have all different kinds of programming that are totally free and you don’t have to pre-register. It’s a way of expanding your learning and your experiences on campus outside of the classroom. We have artists coming to do talks, we have art workshops where you can just, again, change your pace and create something new that you can take home with you. We do different kinds of tours and we also do different kinds of receptions that are a more casual entry point with food and drinks. So, really, the gallery is a space that you can have all different kinds of encounters with art, and you don’t have to be an art expert. Just be a space for you to unwind and connect with your community and expand your learning.”
For students unable to visit Pursuit of Grace before it closes on December 13th, the gallery will reopen on January 20th, 2026 with Of The People. It is a juried exhibition curated by Philly based visual artist, Alex Dacorde, ICA Los Angeles curator, Amanda Sroka, and curator of prints and drawings from Princeton University Art Museum, Laura Giles. The exhibition, inspired by the 250th anniversary of the signing of The Declaration of Independence, reflects on American democracy and will run from January 20th to March 28th of 2026.
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