Lionel Smit

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Lionel Smit (born 22 October 1982, Pretoria, South Africa) is a South African artist,[1][2][3] known for his contemporary portraiture executed through large canvases and sculptures.[4]

Smit lives and works in Cape Town, South Africa, but is also represented internationally in London.[5] His work has been exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery in London where it received the Viewer's Choice Award,[6] He received a Ministerial Award from the South African Department of Culture in 2013[7] for Visual Art.

History[edit]

Born in 1982 in Pretoria, South Africa, Smit was exposed to sculpture through his father Anton Smit,[8] who worked from his studio adjacent to the family home. This studio played a central role in Lionel's upbringing.[9] By age twelve, Smit was already working in clay and considered himself primarily as a sculptor. At sixteen his parents separated, after which Lionel, a student at Pretoria's Pro Arte School of Arts at the time, began to use the empty studio space his father occupied for painting.

Work and subject matter[edit]

Lionel Smit's art is defined by a relationship between sculpture and painting.[10]

Smit is based in Strand,[11] Cape Town. He has achieved international success including sell-out exhibitions in London[12][13] and Hong Kong.

Local acclaim[edit]

Lionel Smit has also enjoyed success in his home country of South Africa, where his work has featured in local publications such as Elle South Africa[14] and Elle Decoration.[15]

Qualifications and awards[edit]

  • 2013 Visitors' Choice Award,[16][17] BP Portrait Award, National Portrait Gallery, London
  • 2013 Ministerial Award from Department of Culture for Visual Art,[18] Western Cape Government
  • 2009 Merit Award, Vuleka, Sanlam Art Competition, Cape Town
  • 2008 Achievement Award, Pro Arte School of Arts
  • 2000 First prize in the MTN Art Colours Awards of Gauteng
  • 1999/2000 Best painting student, Pro Arte School of Arts

Selected exhibitions[edit]

Morphous

2015

  • Close/Perspective,[19][20][21] solo exhibition, Everard Read, Johannesburg
  • Origins,[22][23] solo exhibition, Rook & Raven, London
  • Obscura,[24][25] solo exhibition, Everard Read, Cape Town
  • Art Central Art Fair, featured artist, Rook & Raven Gallery, Hong Kong
  • Accumulation of Disorder, installation, Independent Art Projects, MASS MoCA Campus, USA

2014

  • Art Taipei, The Cat Street Gallery, Taiwan
  • Contronym,[26] solo exhibition, The Cat Street Gallery, Hong Kong
  • Morphous, solo exhibition and installation, Circa, Johannesburg
  • Cumulus,[27] solo exhibition, Rook & Raven, London
  • Fugitive Identity, group exhibition, Cynthia Reeves, USA

2013

  • Art Miami Fair, featured artist, Cynthia Reeves, Miami
  • IS Sculpture, solo exhibition, IsArt, Tokara, Stellenbosch
  • Strarta Art Fair, Saatchi Gallery, Rook & Raven, London
  • Fragmented,[28] solo exhibition, Rook & Raven, London
  • Accumulation,[29] solo exhibition, Everard Read, Johannesburg
  • BP Portrait Award Exhibition,[30] Viewers' Choice Award, National Portrait Gallery, London
  • Wonder Works Exhibition, The Cat Street Gallery, Hong Kong
  • Metal Work Public sculpture, Stellenbosch

2012

  • Compendium,[31] solo exhibition, 34FineArt, Cape Town
  • Accumulation of Disorder, installation, University of Stellenbosch Gallery, Stellenbosch
  • Strata,[32][33] solo exhibition, Rook and Raven, London
  • Robert Bowman Gallery, India Art Fair, India
  • Jhb Art Fair, Everard Read

2011

  • Surface, solo exhibition, Artspace, Johannesburg
  • 34FineArt, ArtMonaco ‘11, Monaco

2010

  • Out of the Office, group exhibition, Kunstmuseum Bochum, Germany
  • Cynthia Reeves Projects, Art Miami, USA
  • We are not Witches, Saatchi Gallery, London
  • Submerge,[34] solo exhibition, 34FineArt, Cape Town

2009

  • F.A.C.E.T., Charity Auction, Christie's, London
  • Relate, solo exhibition, Grande Provence, Franschhoek

Catalogues[edit]

  • Cumulus LIONEL SMIT, Rook & Raven, London 2014
  • Formulation LIONEL SMIT, Tokara, Stellenbosch 2013
  • Accumulation LIONEL SMIT, Everard Read, Johannesburg 2013
  • Strata LIONEL SMIT, Rook & Raven, London, 2012
  • Surface LIONEL SMIT, Artspace, Johannesburg 2011
  • We are not Witches, Saatchi Gallery, London 2011
  • Submerge[35] LIONEL SMIT, 34FineArt, October 2010
  • Christie's, F.A.C.E.T (catalogue cover), October 2009
  • Residue, Grande Provence Gallery, October 2009
  • Group therapy, Sandton Civic Gallery, 2005
  • Pretoria, Everard Read Gallery, November 2004

Selected collections[edit]

  • Ellerman Contemporary
  • Standard Chartered Bank
  • Laurence Graff
  • Rand Merchant Bank[36]
  • European Investment Bank
  • Johannesburg City Council
  • Saronsberg Wine Estate
  • Grainvest Futures
  • Delaire Graff Wine Estate
  • South African Embassy, Nigeria
  • Parkdev
  • Jonathan Jabulani Museum

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Get to know celebrated SA artist, Lionel. Smit". News24. 21 October 2015. Archived from the original on 22 October 2015. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  2. ^ "Smart Art: Art for buying's sake". Times Live. 16 January 2014.
  3. ^ "Chefs Who Share – The Art of Giving". Food24.
  4. ^ "Benchmark Design". Visi.
  5. ^ Liversedge, Belinda (20 March 2014). "The face of contemporary SA art – Smit's bold portraits now in London". The South African.
  6. ^ "BP Visitors' Choice Award 2013". National Portrait Gallery.
  7. ^ "2013 Cultural Awards Winners". Western Cape Government.
  8. ^ "An alchemy of metal and paint". Opulent Living.
  9. ^ Adjin, Kwesi. "Face to Face with Lionel Smit". Style No Chaser.
  10. ^ "An alchemy of metal and paint". Opulent Living.
  11. ^ Leigh, Robertson. "An office made for Art". House and Leisure.[permanent dead link]
  12. ^ Cole-Morgan, John (15 June 2015). "Lionel Smit sells out his London art show before opening night". The South African.
  13. ^ "SA Artist sells out London Art Show before opening night". SA Good News. Archived from the original on 2015-12-31. Retrieved 2015-12-08.
  14. ^ "Tarina Patel painting fetches R85 000". Elle South Africa.
  15. ^ "10 tips for top interior design". Elle Decoration.
  16. ^ "Exclusive Interview with Award Winning Artist Lionel Smit". SA Creative Network.
  17. ^ "BP Visitors' Choice Award 2013". National Portrait Gallery.
  18. ^ "Cultural Awards 2013". Western Cape Government.
  19. ^ "Close/Perspective Exhibition". Johannesburg Times.
  20. ^ "Close/Perspective Exhibition". Mail & Guardian.
  21. ^ "'n Uitdaging van Persepsie". Netwerk24. 29 August 2015.
  22. ^ "Origin Exhibition". Rook and Raven.
  23. ^ "Lionel Smit: Origins to open at Rook and Raven London". Artlyst.
  24. ^ "Obscura Exhibition". Art Times.
  25. ^ "Obscura Exhibition". Everard Read.
  26. ^ "Contronym Exhibition". The Cat Street Gallery.
  27. ^ "Cumulus Exhibition". Rook and Raven.
  28. ^ "Fragmented Exhibition". Rook and Raven.
  29. ^ de Freitas, Marilyn. "The many faces of Lionel Smit". www.art.co.za.
  30. ^ "BP Portrait Award Exhibitors 2013". National Portrait Gallery.
  31. ^ "Compendium Exhibition". 34FineArt.
  32. ^ "Strata Exhibition". The South African.
  33. ^ "Strata Exhibition". Rook and Raven.
  34. ^ "Submerge Exhibition". 34FineArt.
  35. ^ "Submerge Catalogue" (PDF). 34FineArt.
  36. ^ "RMB Art Collection". Rand Merchant Bank.
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