The exhibition of recent bundled sculptures of clothing, fabric, accessories and household items is inspired by the overt use and disposal of materials that line streets in machine compacted bundles; the surplus value of used clothing being exported to Third world countries in 1,000 lb bales and recent world events which have displaced people and caused them to lose their belongings.

The graffiti of her youth, Japanese calligraphy and Abstract Expressionism drives the gesture in her 2-D works and installations, which are formed by mantras or praise poetry that Smith creates using excerpts of song lyrics, literature and religious text.

The process used to make the bound works and cut-paper pieces is meditative and ritualistic. The act of binding and writing with my own hand allows me to imbue each part with my energy and personal affirmations while commenting on current cultural and economic topics.

There is a transient, nomadic sensibility to my work, of place for things that were once displaced. I see the urban terrain as nature. My work deals with my interactions with the city and popular culture and broadly with transitory phenomena and human nature.

- Shinique Smith

Shinique Smith’s work was recently seen in NeoVernacular a group exhibition at Steve Turner gallery in Los Angeles curated by Franklin Sirmans, and in FULL ON! a solo exhibition of sculpture and installation at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art.

Shinique Smith was born in Baltimore Maryland. She currently lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. Her sculpture and video work are currently on view in “Frequency” at the Studio Museum in Harlem.