Artist Statement
Artist Statement
Raven Smith is an African American artist that specializes in figurative oil painting. Currently, her work focuses on creating images that depoliticizes the black body by using monochromatic color schemes to depict the figure’s emotional state or placing costumed figures within surreal spaces. The work is highly research based whether it is studying an era of time or conducting interactive surveys to analyze. For a section of her work she spends the majority of her time creating themed, fabricated environments for costumed figures to belong in. These spaces aid in the transformation of her peers while also allowing her to escape harsh realities. Surreal fantasies are places lacking responsibilities and obligations. Created worlds of the mind that can be imperfectly perfect. She then works from photographs that are later transformed into manipulated paintings. Tweaking intentional details within the image, she fools the viewer’s mind into glancing over subtle mishaps within the depicted scene.
Her images walk the fine line between reality and delusion. What’s to be expected and how to disrupt that, she questions. In another area of her work she practices the act of listening to a painting. From color, surface, texture and mark she explores what techniques invoke specific emotions most accurately to create pieces that speak to what cannot be verbally explained. Her diverse methods of paint handling is her main method to seduce her spectators. Slow burning focus until they see what initially appeared to be an ordinary scene is actually puzzling. James Baldwin once said, “the role of the artist is exactly the same as the lover. If I love you, I have to make you conscious of the things you don't see.” She is now an artist creating work that does just that by making her audience question what they see and how they feel, while simultaneously creating a new perspective on African American artists' work as a whole.
Her images walk the fine line between reality and delusion. What’s to be expected and how to disrupt that, she questions. In another area of her work she practices the act of listening to a painting. From color, surface, texture and mark she explores what techniques invoke specific emotions most accurately to create pieces that speak to what cannot be verbally explained. Her diverse methods of paint handling is her main method to seduce her spectators. Slow burning focus until they see what initially appeared to be an ordinary scene is actually puzzling. James Baldwin once said, “the role of the artist is exactly the same as the lover. If I love you, I have to make you conscious of the things you don't see.” She is now an artist creating work that does just that by making her audience question what they see and how they feel, while simultaneously creating a new perspective on African American artists' work as a whole.
Bio
Raven Smith is a contemporary artist currently located in Chicago, IL. She specializes in figurative oil paintings on canvas, panel, etc. Currently her work gives an ode to the escapist nature of cinematography and analyses human color psychology relationships. Raven's work has always been influenced by her immediate surroundings and experiences. Her high observant nature always sneaks its way into her practice. Her work simultaneously challenges the viewer to pay just as much attention to detail as they search for potential mishaps placed for them to find or reflect deeper about a familiar emotion experienced.
Raven's interest in creation emerged at the young age of five. She experimented with illustration, jewelry, graffiti, paperworks, sculpture, fashion, and nail art before committing to her love of capturing the figure. She spent her high school years developing her artistic foundation at The Chicago High School for the Arts where she graduated as a member of the Visual Arts conservatory majoring in Painting and Drawing. She recently completed her BFA at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago majoring in Painting, Cinematography and Fashion.
Raven has shown work all over the Chicago Land Area including venues such as , Expo Chicago ( Navy Pier), Black Creativity (Museum of Science and Industry), and even has a public sculpture located in the Oakland community of Chicago.
Now Raven is working on two series around her present inspirations of escapism and emotion and is in preparation for her second solo show in 2024 titled A Spectrum of Distractions during the first ever ESCAPADE | Tasting Exhibition.
Raven's interest in creation emerged at the young age of five. She experimented with illustration, jewelry, graffiti, paperworks, sculpture, fashion, and nail art before committing to her love of capturing the figure. She spent her high school years developing her artistic foundation at The Chicago High School for the Arts where she graduated as a member of the Visual Arts conservatory majoring in Painting and Drawing. She recently completed her BFA at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago majoring in Painting, Cinematography and Fashion.
Raven has shown work all over the Chicago Land Area including venues such as , Expo Chicago ( Navy Pier), Black Creativity (Museum of Science and Industry), and even has a public sculpture located in the Oakland community of Chicago.
Now Raven is working on two series around her present inspirations of escapism and emotion and is in preparation for her second solo show in 2024 titled A Spectrum of Distractions during the first ever ESCAPADE | Tasting Exhibition.