| I am fundamentally a landscape painter with an interest in capturing a personalized view of the Australian landscape. As a child immigrant to this country, I often think my fascination with the landscape is about my coming to terms with my new surroundings. More and more, my work explores traditional artist’s methods and materials, stretched and expanded into contemporary drawing and painting language. My profession as a painting conservator/restorer has allowed me to examine and study other artist’s work at close range, and I think this feeds into my artwork both consciously and subconsciously. I have grown up and lived by the coast and am new to the mountains, and I’m only just starting to explore the local landscape in my work.
CURRICULUM VITAE
Academic training
2005-2010 Master of Fine Arts (Research) in Painting, College of Fine Arts, University of NSW
2003-2004 Master of Art (Coursework) in Painting, College of Fine Arts, University of NSW
1993-1995 Bachelor of Applied Science in Conservation of Cultural Materials (specialised in Easel Paintings), University of Canberra
Grants & prizes
2012 Awarded Artstart grant from the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, to undertake artist residency and business development.
1995 Awarded joint scholarship through the Getty Grant Program and the University of Canberra to undertake post-graduate internship in paintings conservation.
Major exhibitions
2015 Garden Enchantment, Gallery Bodalla, Bodalla
2014 Miniature Cosmos, with visual artist Cindy Chen and bonsai maker Thor Beowulf, Airspace Projects, Marrickville
2013 Van Gogh at Work, painted reconstruction of Van Gogh’s ‘View from Theo’s Apartment, 1887’ included in the major exhibition at the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
Mysteries Revealed, Gallery Bodalla, Bodalla
2011 Convergence, exhibiting with Genevieve McCrea, Depot II Gallery, Danks Street, Waterloo
2010 The Metaphorical Landscape, COFAspace Gallery, College of Fine Arts
The Metaphorical Landscapecape, Bondi Pavilion Gallery, Bondi Beach
Selected group exhibitions
2015 Openings, Airspace Projects, Marrickville
Collectors’ Edition #2, Blue Mountains Cultural Centre, Katoomba
2014 Touching Our Land, Queen Street Gallery, Woollahra
2013 Gesture, Chrissie Cotter Gallery, Camperdown
Gold Telethon exhibition, Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick
2012 58th Annual Hunters Hill Art Exhibition, Hunters Hill Town Hall, Sydney
2011 Together in Harmony, 50th Anniversary exhibition, Korea Foundation Cultural Centre, Seoul
Go Figure, Scheffer Gallery, Darlington, Sydney
40x40x40 ShowShow, Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne
2010 Christmas Art Exhibitions, Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick
2008 Landscape, Flinders Street Gallery, Surry Hills
Hills Grammar School Art Prize, Hills Grammar School, Kenthurst. Work highly commended.
Tim Olsen Drawing Prize 2008, Kudos Gallery, College of Fine Arts
2004-07 Various group exhibitions at the College of Fine Arts, Sydney
CONTACT
Phone: 0415 773 494
email: smitsfinearts@gmail.com
web: www.kristelsmits.com
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