Towards Understanding: The Art of Graham Smith
28 March – 11 May 2025
Graham Smith Earth and Sky (Final) 3 2022 lithograph
Towards Understanding: The Art of Graham Smith is a major retrospective exhibition by Ilford-based artist, Graham Smith.
The exhibition will take visitors on a chronological journey through the artist's evolution, highlighting his exploration of abstract painting.
Smith is known for his work in cubism, modernism and constructivism, and Towards Understanding will highlight how his style and techniques have developed over time. Through his bold use of colour and form, viewers are invited to engage with the interpretative nature of Smith’s work. The art in his whimsical worlds depicts organic forms including enchanted gardens and landscapes, as well as detours towards more figurative elements that ground the overall exhibition.
Towards Understanding will delve into Smith's exploration of abstract art over the many years he has been painting, encouraging viewers to engage with the underlying themes and techniques that define his oeuvre. The exhibition aims to highlight this interpretative nature of abstract art by presenting the works in a way that encourages personal connections.
Graham Smith Biography
Graham Smith has produced work continuously over six decades since his early formal training in painting and drawing during the 1950s and 60s. After studying painting at Wellington Polytechnic College, New Zealand (1957 – 1961), Graham attended Kunstschule Destrad, Linz, Austria (1961 – 1963). Returning to New Zealand in 1964, he taught drawing, painting and design at Wellington Polytechnic until moving to Sydney, Australia in 1977.
During the late 1970s and 80s Graham taught drawing at the University of Technology in Sydney while continuing to paint and exhibit in commercial galleries in Sydney and Melbourne. During this time Graham’s work was purchased by the Australian Art Bank, a series of prints was commissioned by Westpac Banking Corporation, and many works were sold to private collectors in Australia and overseas. In the mid – late 1980s Graham established and ran a successful fashion design and manufacturing business, retailing clothing in Australia and New Zealand. He returned to painting full-time in the 1990s and also began working with clay to create ceramic sculptures.
Graham has lived in the Mid-Western Region, NSW for over 30 years. He has taught private painting and drawing classes in Mudgee for over 10 years and now paints and works with clay in his Mudgee and Ilford studios.
TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING: THE ART OF GRAHAM SMITH
28 March – 11 May 2025
Exhibition Opening: Friday 28 March 6pm – 8pm