S T R A T A

S T R A T A

S T R A T A

Lionel Smit was born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1982. He now lives and works in Cape Town, South Africa. Primarily a painter and sculptor, his paintings are devoted to the deconstruction of the portrait thus exposing the construction of the portrayed persona through his techniques. For Smit, identity formation is similar to exposing the anatomy of the canvas much like tracing the genealogy of the subject over time and space his focus most often being the Cape Malay woman. Upon close inspection of Smits canvas, the viewer loses oneself within the abstracted surface the viewer only able to decipher bold brush strokes and colours as indicative of an individual artists identity. The painting process, evident in Smits layering technique, becomes just as important as the subject being explored - the technique itself challenging the way we create an understanding of identity through art, rather than simply describing the subjects aesthetics. The canvas is thus converted into skin itself the surface becoming the sight of social ambiguity as the transparent layers signify the various levels inherent in the identification process. Smits use of bold colour, simplified

subject and expressive brushwork recalls the Fauvist use of symbolic colour used for expressive effect - visually translating colour and technique into a range of emotion. Smits predominant use of blue describes a cool intensity within the study of identity. Smits STRATA (2012) series, depicted by the recurrent image of the Cape Malay woman, is grounded within an understanding of the fluidity of contemporary double consciousness symbolising a merge of identity categories within a South African socio-political context. The Cape Malay woman for Smit represents a hybrid identity within a South African setting, an indicator of the disintegrating construction of identity within our increasingly globalised world. Standing at a distance, the strata of the canvas begins to blend: the bold colours, brushstrokes, drips and swathes of paint fuse, conveying the subject as the sight of social (de)classification. Smits work is evidently loaded with both historical and aesthetic precedent; with a clear focus on the dialogue between the figurative and the expressive abstract. The STRATA (2012) series signifies an analysis of the logic of inter-culturalism. Cultural theorist Stuart Hall has argued that cultural

identity is not something that already exists, transcending place, time or history. Identity is about being positioned and investing in a particular (subject) position. Smit thus translates his own position of identity - drawing from images in his daily life as post-identitarian. Smit has established a substantial global following, with Laurence Graff having bought work for his personal collection as well as his work being accumulated for various public collections such as Standard Chartered Bank. Jayne Crawshay-Hall

Accumulation #3

Oil on Canvas 165 x 165cm 2012

Contain #2

Oil on Canvas 165 x 230cm 2012

External #2

Oil on Canvas 120 x 120cm 2012

Contain

Oil on Canvas 120 x 120cm 2012

Fragmented

Oil on Canvas 120 x 120cm 2012

Grounded

Oil on Canvas 120 x 120cm 2012

Internal

Oil on Canvas 165 x 165cm 2012

SOLID-state

Oil on Canvas 165 x 165cm 2012

StrATA #1

Oil on Canvas 120 x 120cm 2012

strata #2

Oil on Canvas 165 x 165cm 2012

Ungrounded

Oil on Canvas 165 x 230cm 2012

A R T I S T B IOG R A P H Y

Lionel Smit was born in Pretoria in 1982. He grew up in an environment of art. His fathers studio created a platform to start his creative development at a young age. After attending Pro Arte school of arts (1996-2000) he decided to become a full-time artist. Exhibiting extensively in South Africa and abroad he has already established a substantial international following with collectors ranging from Standard Chartered Bank, Rand Merchant Bank to Laurence Graff from Delaire Wine Estate. Smits popularity is indeed growing on a global scale, with a highlight being the use of an image of his painting for the cover of a Christies auction catalogue in London. Smit currently lives and works in Cape Town. Selected Exhibitions 2012 - Compendium, solo exhibition, 34FineArt, Cape Town - Accumulation of Disorder, installation, University of StellenboschGallery, Stellenbosch - Strata, solo exhibition, Rook and Raven, London - Winter Exhibition, Everard Read, Johannesburg - Robert Bowman Gallery, India Art Fair, India - Jhb Art Fair, Everard Read 2011 - Surface, solo exhibition, Artspace, Johannesburg - 34FineArt, Art Monaco 11, Monaco 2010 - Cynthia Reeves Projects, group exhibition, Art Miami, USA - We are not Witches, group exhibition, Saatchi Gallery, London - Submerge, solo exhibition, 34FineArt, Cape Town - Out of the Office, group exhibition, Kunstmuseum Bochum, Germany 2009 - F.A.C.E.T., Charity Auction, Christies, London - Group 09, group exhibition, 34Long Fine Art, Cape Town - Gesprek, group exhibition, University of Stellenbosch Gallery, Stellenbosch - Relate, solo exhibition, Grande Provence, Franschhoek

2008 - REFLECTIONS, group exhibition, Rust-en-Vrede, Durbanville - Day Dream, two man show with Jaco Benade, Magpie Gallery, Centurion - Rendezvous - focus wearable art, Fada Art Gallery, Johannesburg - Reflect/refuel, group exhibition, Association of Arts, Pretoria - Twenty artists/twenty portraits, UCAGallery, Cape Town 2007 - St. Sebastian, group exhibition, Association of Arts, Pretoria - Project, group exhibition, Carol Lee Fine Art, Johannesburg - Flesh/:scape, two man show withM.J.Lourens, Magpie Gallery, Centurion 2006 - 40 x 40, group exhibition, KKNKArts Festival, Oudtshoorn - Epidemic, Judge, Hope, solo exhibition, Voir Gallery, Pretoria - Physical self, group exhibition, Gallery 88, Sasolburg - Turn the table, group exhibition, Artspace, Johannesburg 2005 - Group therapy, group exhibition, Civic Gallery, Sandton - Oppitafel, group exhibition, Artspace, Johannesburg 2004 - Pretoria, Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town - Solitude, two man exhibition with Rossouw van der Walt, Gordart Gallery, Johannesburg 2002 - Three man show with Liam Lynch and Zander Blom, Millennium Gallery, Pretoria

Selected Publications and Media Catalogues - Surface, Artspace, October 2011 - Out of the Office, Kunstmuseum Bochum, Germany 2010 - WE ARE NOT WITCHES, Saatchi Gallery, October 2010 - Submerge, LIONEL SMIT, 34FineArt, October 2010 - Christies, F.A.C.E.T. (catalogue cover), October 2009 - Residue, Grande Provence Gallery, October 2009 - Group therapy, Sandton Civic Gallery, 2005 - Pretoria, Everard Read Gallery, November 2004 Articles - An Alchemy of Metal and Paint, Opulant Living Magazine, Winter 2012 - ARTOFAFRICA, Graffiti, The Graff Magazine, Summer 2010 - Grand Scale, Garden and Home Magazine, April 2010 - AbouTime Magazine, 2007 - Ou idees met moderne aanslag,RAPPORT, 2 July 2006 - A look away, Art Magazine, 2006 - Individuality of faces, Pretoria News, 15 June 2006 - Soos in n tweepas, Beeld plus, 26 November 2004 - Radically different works from striking ensemble, Interval, May 2002 Collections - Johann Jacobs Museum - Standard Chartered Bank - Ellerman Contemporary - Laurence Graff Collection - Rand Merchant Bank - European Investment Bank - Johannesburg City Council - Saronsberg Wine Estate - Delaire Graff Wine Estate - South African Embassy, Nigeria - Parkdev - Various private and corporate collections Rook & Raven 7 Rathbone Place London W1T 1HN Tel: 0207 323 0805 Email: info@rookandraven.co.uk Web: www.rookandraven.co.uk