Howard Smith

Description

The major monograph Howard Smith celebrates the far-reaching practice of the multifaceted African-American artist, designer, and collector who spent most of his creative life in Finland.

Working with paper, pigments, wood, clay, textiles, and metal, Smith had both fine art and commercial practices. While he designed for industry—planning interior designs for corporate offices, public buildings and a ferry—he especially enjoyed recycling items like scrap metal, used cardboard, and castoff clothing, which he transformed into offbeat compositions. Howard Smith’s work displays an exuberance and generosity characteristic of the man. Immediately recognizable for bold gestures in line, plane, and mass, his creations embrace rich colors and contrasts in material and form. He referred to many of these forms as ‘glyphs,’ vibrant figures that often suggest the human form in posture of celebration.

Exhibition schedule:
Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, California
(opening May 2025)
National Nordic Museum, Helsinki, Finland
(dates TBD)