Kristian Smith's work channels classical mythology, allegory and religious iconography as a way to approach personal narrative and contemporary themes of digital surveillance and labour, consumerist desire and existential longing.
Influenced by Renaissance art history and socialist writer Raymond Williams' view of advertising as 'the official art of modern capitalist society', her observational lens-based practice incorporates re-photography and digital appropriation, and uses original pages of print advertising as a sculptural material for paper diptychs, triptychs and montages.
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AWARDS
2023
Stills Centre for Photography/ Street Level Photoworks
Portfolio Bursary - Format Photography Festival, Derby
2020
Creative Scotland - Artist Fund Award
Visual Arts Scotland - Creative Freelancers Funding
2018
The National Library of Scotland - Muriel Spark Writer's Centenary Award
2014
Creative Scotland - Artist Bursary Award
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ARTIST RESIDENCIES
2015
Fondazione Fotografia, Modena - Modena, Italy
Stills Centre for Photography - Edinburgh
2013
Artistes En Residence, Clermont Ferrand, France
David Dale Gallery - Glasgow
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EDUCATION
2011
BA (Hons) Intermedia Art - Edinburgh College of Art, Scotland
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SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025
RE:VISION East Wing Biennial 2025-2027 - The Courtauld Institute of Art, London
2024
Stills Salon - Stills Centre for Photography, Edinburgh
2021
Guest Room curated by Lucy Soutter / Gauri Gill - Der Greif, online
2017
Family of No Man curated by Brad Feuerhelm at Cosmo Arles - Arles, France
Guest Room curated by Susan Bright - Der Greif, online
Ambit: Photographies from Scotland - Stills Centre for Photography, Edinburgh
2015
AiR Fondazione Fotografia Modena - Modena, Italy
Finite Project Altered When Open - David Dale Gallery, Glasgow
No Time for Hysteria - 126 at Burren College of Art - Ballyvaughan, Ireland
Open 19 at Mostyn - Llandudno, Wales
2014
Oriel Open at Oriel Davies Gallery - Newtown, Wales
2013
Oblique - David Dale Gallery, Glasgow
Catalyst Arts - Belfast Photo Festival, Belfast
Prisimism - Transmission Gallery, Glasgow
Anonyme Zeichner at Temporary Art Centre (TAC) - Eindhoven
The Founding Phant - Ormston House, Limerick, Ireland
Anonyme Zeichner at Kunstverein Tiergarten - Berlin
2012
Streetlevel Open - StreetLevel Photoworks, Glasgow
Experimental - Catalyst Arts, Belfast
Horizon Sprawl - Ormston House, Limerick, Ireland
Undertow - The Lab, Dublin
Undertow - Ormston House, Limerick, Ireland
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SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2021
Play the Swan and Die in Music – Rake of Colts, online
Hunters in the Snow - Rake of Colts, online
2018
Passengers - Custom House, Edinburgh
2016
Room Service - Gate House, Edinburgh
2014
Impressionism - Institute Français d’Ecosse, Edinburgh