Shinique Smith: My Heart is my Hand

February 19 - April 18, 2010

Curated by Kendra Paitz

University Galleries of Illinois State University will host a solo exhibition of Shinique Smith’s work in our project space, Gallery 2.5, from February 16 through March 28, 2010.

Smith will create a site-specific installation, painting and collaging elements onto plywood panels installed directly on the gallery’s walls. She will also use objects found in our community, including discarded rugs and lamps, to transform the gallery space. Smith’s installations envelop the viewer in an energetic burst of painting inspired by Japanese calligraphy, Abstract Expressionism, and graffiti, punctuated by discarded clothing and objects. These pieces tie ecological themes of accumulation, disposal, and waste to elements of popular culture and the artist’s personal narrative.

Smith received both her M.F.A. and her B.F.A. from The Maryland Institute College of Art. Her work has received critical attention in The New York Times, Artforum, The New Yorker, The Village Voice, ARTNews, and Art in America and has been included in exhibitions at the New Museum, New York; the Studio Museum in Harlem, New York; and the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C. Smith will give an artist lecture on Tuesday, February 16 at 4 pm in 145 Center for the Visual Arts.