My name is Paul Smith and I’m a visual artist living in Brantford, Ontario. I have been a professional photographer for most of my working life after graduating from Sheridan College with a Diploma in Applied Photography. I’ve always used painting and illustration as a personal creative outlet, and in 2024 began the journey of producing work in a more structured and meaningful way. I was also given the distinct privilege to participate in Glenhyrst Art Galleries’ incubator program, an 8 month artist residency.

Making art for me is most impactful when it intersects with history and identity. A common theme in my work is the preservation and recognition of public objects as well as creating a certain type of nostalgia, one that asks the viewer to consider ‘identity of place’. Vintage signs are so often sculptural and their iconography informs this sense of nostalgia. This idea can be more broadly applied to many man made objects, architecture, and even whole neighborhoods. Spending years as a photographer has given me an appreciation and deep understanding of light and its influence on colour, shape, and mood. I’m always trying to make space in my paintings for light to be a subject itself. It has also allowed me to appreciate the often forgotten practice of looking.

Artist CV