Biography

Background

Irish-French artist Barbara Smith studied at Goldsmith’s College, University of London, which has helped to nurture many great talents including The Young British Artists. She also trained at Estudio Mariscal in Barcelona with Javier Mariscal, who is also one of today’s most innovative and original multidisciplinary artist-designers.

She currently lives and works in Brittany, France.

Themes & Techniques

Barbara Smith’s work includes painting, sculpture, screenprints and photography, exploring different techniques such as drip-painting, text painting and also glitter. She values the process itself just as highly as the result. Visual references to popular culture, art history, comics, music are included in her work, frequently characterised by a distinctive and recurrent theme of the beauty of existence and its fragility, life, death and hope.

Interior Design

Barbara Smith works with interior designers in the UK and France. She is spotted by one of today’s leading interior designers Abigail Ahern, who integrates her paintings into her London show home. Smith works with award-winning interior designers including Camilla Bellord Interiors in the UK. Her paintings are also featured in french brand Bed and Philosophy‘s showroom.

Collaborations

Barbara Smith loves to collaborate with brands ans has worked on a chocolate design with brand UNEL founded by culinary designer Philippe Picquette which lead to on exhibition at “Taste of Paris” at Le Grand Palais.

Artistic collaborations also include renowned music composer Robin Foster, fashion photographer Christian Geisselmann (Cartier, Louis Vuitton…) and Marion Volant.

Museum & Schools

She develops projects with museums of France and schools resulting in exhibitions and books, which aim to valorise children’s artwork.

Exhibitions

2018

“POP UP GALLERY” Art du Notic, Camaret-sur-mer, France
“MARTEAUX, CLOUS & CO” (direction artistique) Écomusée Industriel des Forges, Inzinzac-Lochrist, France
“EXPO SOLO” Ma Première Galerie, Quimper, France
“LUNETTES & PAILLETTES”, Le point de vue d’Alice, Quimper, France

2017

“du potAgeR à l’AssieTte” (direction artistique) Musée de l’École Rurale de Trégarvan, France
“POP PRESENCE” Cindy Lisica Gallery Houston Texas, USA
“ART ON PAPER” Cindy Lisica Gallery, New York, USA

2016

“OVERTIME” Cindy Lisica Gallery Houston Texas, USA
“TEA ARTY” Les Filles de Tartempion, Brest, France
“EXO + ENDO SKELETON”, Fashion Week, Brest, France
“Pensinsul’ART”, Büsum, Germany

2015

“AQUA ART MIAMI” during Art Basel, Miami, USA
“TASTE OF PARIS” Le Grand Palais, Paris, France
“SUPERHEROES” Ma Première Galerie, Quimper, France
RIVE GAUCHE, Brest, France
ROCHE BOBOIS, Brest, France
LIBRAIRIE & CURIOSITÉS, Quimper, France

2014

“THE ENDURING SKULL” Revision Space Gallery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
“LIFE, DEATH & HOPE”, Ma Première Galerie, Quimper, France
“Peninsul’ART” St Ives, Cornwall, UK
“ART LOVES YOU” Paris, France

2013

“Peninsul’ART”, Camaret-sur-mer, France
“POP UP” Le Prieuré de Locmaria, Quimper, France
BINZ MARKET, Brest, France
LIBRAIRIE & CURIOSITÉS, Quimper, France