by Alli Smith
Visual art
Artist’s Statement
My work exists in a world of humor, mischief, and disturbance. I utilize playful mark making, a vibrant color palette, and I choose to distort the mythical yet humanlike creatures living within my work. They serve as tools of transformation and emotional catharsis, turning parts of my life that are confusing, painful, or embarrassing into a mesh of characters experiencing these same feelings amongst themselves and each other. I aim to create a contradictory feeling of lightheartedness and sorrowfulness.
Alli Smith is a painter and illustrator based out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She received her BFA from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD) in 2018 and is currently employed at the David Barnett Gallery as the social media manager and digital imagist. She has exhibited nationally and internationally, at galleries and artist-run spaces including the Gluon Gallery (Milwaukee), Old Courthouse Arts Center (Woodstock, Illinois), and Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw (Warsaw, Poland).