BIO/STATEMENT

Shane Smith (b. Jan 12, 1999 in Kingston, Jamaica) is a New York based painter

and sculptor. His works depict figurative representations of natural, domestic, and public scenes. The artist has been featured in gallery exhibitions and publications by

organizations such as The Monira Foundation, and White Columns.

“ Oh how I wish to convey the sentiments of everyday; the moments in-between; the stillness, the silence; sympathy, and empathy; love in a look; a life in a gesture; Humility, humanity... hope ; what is real, and sincere; laughter, and tears; the little things that make a big difference.

My art practice is an investigation/ observation of experiences that have emotionally, intellectually, & aesthetically left an impression on me. I frequently explore through art, ideas that revolve around the human condition. My work follows a personal narrative, through the representation of introspective ideas & life experiences.

Primarily, I use mixed media not limited to acrylic paint & oil paint, on canvas, wood, &

found material. Many of my paintings concern feelings and conceptual ideas represented by symbolic subject matter.

Other times I depict scenes from my immediate surroundings. Surveying my environment for compositions has become one of my favorite aspects of picture making. It has enriched not only my practice, but also my experience of life, with an amplified gratitude for the experience of looking .

In my sculptures of plaster, wood, stone, and ceramic clay; I investigate fleeting, ephemeral, or

spiritual attributes such as gesture, mannerism, and temperament. From this understanding, I may

deconstruct a natural form to restate it implicitly-preserving only essential & inherent qualities/characteristics that render the form identifiable by association.

I am interested in art's ability to contradict what is apparently objective, and its potential

to elicit potent emotional and intellectual responses in doing so.