Artist Statement

Samantha Keely Smith’s paintings navigate the space between conscious thought and subconscious emotion, merging abstraction and figuration into dreamlike works. Her practice explores the landscapes of the psyche, addressing themes of loss, joy, grief and resilience.

Smith captures the psychological intensity of figures and landscapes through light, shadow, and movement. Her works convey heightened emotional states—ecstasy, anxiety, and despair—through a dynamic interplay of these elements. Smith’s process is guided by her subconscious, using solvents, scraping, and intuitive gestures to create compositions that balance chaos and serenity. While her palette often evokes the atmospheric light and color of the Romantics, the paintings are unquestionably contemporary in their approach.

Through the integration of art historical influences and contemporary methods, Smith engages our enduring dialogue with the past. Her work reclaims the sublime as a space for collective contemplation in an often disorienting world.

Bio

Brooklyn-based artist Samantha Keely Smith was born in England. After moving to the US as a child, Smith went on to study Fine Arts at the School of Visual Arts in New York. She left SVA after her Freshman year to be the full-time caregiver for her terminally ill Mother. After her Mother’s passing she returned to college at Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University and received a BFA with Honors (Painting, 1991).

Smith’s paintings are included in private and public collections in the US, Europe and UK.

An avid music fan she has collaborated with musicians she greatly admires such as Richard Barbieri (of the renowned British new wave/art rock band Japan), Lloyd Cole, and experimental drone metal band SUNN O))) - whose albums have featured her paintings on their covers.

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