Bio
Nathan Smith (b. 1998, Mission Viejo, CA) grew up in a creatively rich household—his mother a photographer, his father a fine artist, and grandparents who worked in interior design. At age four his family relocated to Farmington, CT, where Nathan’s early passions for music and percussion emerged alongside interests in sculpture and culinary arts. After high school he lived in Geneva, Switzerland, where his commitment to fine art deepened. Returning to Southern California, he immersed himself in oil painting and experimental music before studying Painting at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, OR. Nathan’s practice continued to evolve as music and painting intertwined, leading to a distinct approach to abstraction developed prior to his move to New York City. He currently works in his studio and frequents the galleries of the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Artist Statement
My work uses a personal visual language—abstract figures, expressive color, and subtle textures—to construct emotional mosaics that inhabit liminal spaces. Influenced by natural cycles, childhood obsessions with music and philosophy, and experiences of religion, dreams, and altered states of consciousness, the paintings aim for a deceptively naive clarity. Through restrained gestures and layered surfaces I explore contemporary visual boundaries, inviting quiet, intimate responses that reveal themselves over time.