Adopting the aesthetic and posture of historical nineteenth-century studio portraits and paintings, Smith’s work critically examines an industry that has shaped and sustained the modern US economy. Influenced by how African American photographers have used photography for representation, she images herself in spaces that connote a present past to construct a visual record of storytelling about history and time. Smith earned her MFA in Photography and Related Media from Rochester Institute of Technology and her BFA in Photography from Savannah College of Art and Design. Her work has been exhibited at Autograph ABP in London, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and FotoFest Biennial in Houston, among other venues.

She has received numerous awards including the Prix Picto De La Mode from the Picto Foundation, the Coup de Coeur Leica Prize from Photo Brussels, and recognition as part of the Inaugural Silver List by Carnegie Mellon University.

Additional Speakers:

Anaiis Cisco, Reighan Gillam, Sarah Lewis, Mary Pena, Channell Russell, Malcolm Sen, Toby Sisson