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Lucien Smith

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Lucien Smith
Smith in 2021
Born
Lucien Marc Smith

(1989-04-15)April 15, 1989
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedSeptember 7, 2026(2026-09-07) (aged 37)
New York, U.S.
EducationThe Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
Known forPainting
Patrons
Websitewww.luciensmithstudio.com

Lucien Marc Smith (April 15, 1989 – September 7, 2026) was an American multidisciplinary artist best known for his abstract works and diverse projects. A graduate of the Cooper Union, he was twice featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 in the category of "Art & Style".[1][2] Smith was called a "wunderkind" by The New York Times.[3] He exhibited at galleries such as Skarstedt and Salon 94,[4] and his work was the subject of solo exhibitions mounted at major museums. His collaborations spanned across creative fields, including partnerships with artists such as Virgil Abloh.[5] He hosted a pop-up art show at which Travis Scott performed[6] and directed a short film narrated by Glenn O'Brien, which was shown at Gagosian Gallery in New York City.[7] Smith was the Inga Maren Otto Fellow in residence at The Watermill Center in 2019.[8]

Early life and education

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Smith was born in Los Angeles on April 15, 1989.[9] He was the son of African-American artist Terrence Sanders-Smith and Filipina fashion designer Vivien Ramsay.[9][10][11] He attended Santa Monica High School, graduating in 2007.[9] Smith later graduated with a BFA from the Cooper Union School of Art in 2011.[12]

Ventures

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In 2017, Smith launched Serving the People (STP), an organization building the future of creativity, collaboration, and communication. Guided by a network of creatives and technologists, STP aims to rebuild the infrastructure for cultural participation.[13][14]

Also in 2017, Smith turned his Los Angeles studio into a creative project space called Appointment Only. Appointment Only was designed to host garage rock musical performances and events. It also featured a dedicated residency program for guest artists to create and display exhibitions.[15]

In 2021, Smith was appointed Director of the Cultural Innovation Lab at Lobus, an NFT-oriented equity management firm for artists and collectors. In this role, he pitched artists on using blockchain technology to manage their assets.[16] Later in 2021, he released an NFT collection titled Seeds via Lobus.[17]

In 2025, Smith opened a restaurant called FOOD, located in New York Chinatown. Styled as a modern reimagination of the 1970s FOOD, –"a living artwork; a messy, social, affordable place where artists could actually be together"– with canteen style dining and artists as servers, the restaurant closed indefinitely after his death following a memorial dinner service on September 8.[18][19]

Health issues and death

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Smith gave a TedTalk at Columbia College in 2014, in which he admitted to consuming PCP.[20] In an interview with Kenny Schachter in 2021, Smith talked about his struggles with substance abuse: "I'm a chronic relapser. I shouldn't drink or do drugs. If you're reading this, don't give me drugs if you see me."[21]

Smith died in New York on September 7, 2026, at the age of 37.[22]

Art market

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Artsy estimated in 2014 that Smith generated a total of $3.7 million at auction that year.[23]

Smith was associated with other young painters, such as Oscar Murillo and Jacob Kassay, whose work appreciated rapidly and were favored by collectors for investment-ready fare.[24] A work bought for $10,000 from Smith's 2011 Cooper Union graduate show was resold in November 2013 for $389,000.[24] In February 2014, his work Two Sides of the Same Coin sold for £224,500 at a Sotheby's auction in London.[25]

By 2015, the art market had cooled down and Smith's art's sale value fell from six-figure peaks down to as low as $17,600.[26][27]

Artworks

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Rain Paintings

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In 2011, Smith executed a suite of abstractions he called Rain Paintings, which he created by spraying fire extinguishers filled with paint.[28] In 2014, an example of these works titled Two Sides of the Same Coin sold at Sotheby's Contemporary Art Evening Auction London's first lot for $372,000 against an estimate of $66,000–99,000.[29][30]

Camo Paintings

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In 2014, Smith produced Tigris, a show of 11 camouflage-patterned abstract paintings, inspired by the recollection of the first work of art that strongly impacted him—Hokusai's The Great Wave off Kanagawa.[31][24] The critic Christian Viveros-Fauné described the exhibit as "undistinguished" and "a shrewd career move".[24]

Exhibitions

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Solo exhibitions

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  • Delay of Game, Tripoli Gallery, Montauk, New York, 2026[a]
  • Burn Down the House, Kearsey & Gold, London, UK, 2026[32]
  • A Day Above Ground is a Good One, Kapp Kapp, New York, 2024[33]
  • People are Strange, Willshott Gallery, New York, 2024[34]
  • Handyman, Lucien Smith Studio, New York, 2024[35]
  • Incidentals: A Brief Survey 2011–2021, Half Gallery, New York, 2021[36]
  • Secret Garden, Over the Influence, Hong Kong, 2021[37]
  • Southampton Suite, Parrish Art Museum, Southampton, New York, 2020[22]
  • Lucien Smith Curated by Bill Powers, Half Gallery, Paris, France, 2019[38]
  • Tulips!, The Fireplace Project, Amagansett, New York, 2018[38]
  • "Friends", Empty Gallery, New York, 2018[38]
  • Cosmas & Damian, Moran Bondaroff, Los Angeles, 2017[38]
  • Ship of Fools, Appointment Only, Los Angeles, 2017[38]
  • Allergic to Morning, Moran Bondaroff, Los Angeles, 2016[39]
  • Vicious Cycles, Surf Lodge, Montauk, 2016[38]
  • Tigris, Skarstedt, New York, 2014[38]
  • Nature is my Church, Salon 94, New York, 2013[38]
  • Scrap Metal, Bill Brady / KC, Kansas City, 2013[38]
  • A Clean Sweep, Suzanne Geiss, Co., New York, 2013[38]
  • Good Vibrations, Half Gallery, New York, 2012[39]
  • Seven Rain Paintings, OHWOW Gallery, Los Angeles, 2012[39]
  • Needle in the Hay and Cripple Creek, Ritter-Zamet, London, 2011[38]
  • Imagined Nostalgia, Cooper Union, New York, 2011[38]

Group exhibitions

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  • 20th Annual Thanksgiving Collective: Breaking Bread, Tripoli Gallery, Wainscott, New York, 2024[40]
  • The Smiths, Marlborough Gallery, London, 2019[38]
  • Snarl of Twine, Magenta Plains, New York, 2018[41]
  • MIDTOWN, curated by Jeanne Greenberg and Michele Maccarone, Lever House, New York, 2017[38]
  • LA IntersecCons, Fabien Castanier Gallery, Los Angeles, California, 2017[38]
  • Fake News, CES Gallery, Los Angeles, California, 2017[38]
  • Family Dinner, Lep Field Gallery, San Luis Obispo, California, 2017[38]
  • Intimate Paintings, Half Gallery, New York, 2015[39]
  • Matters of Pattern, Skarstedt, New York, 2015[39]
  • Prospect New Orleans, curated by Franklin Sirmans, Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans, 2014[39]
  • Next, Arsenal, Montréal, Canada, 2014[39]
  • ANAMERICANA, curated by Vincenzo de Bellis, American Academy in Rome, Rome, 2013[39]
  • The Writing is on the Wall, Jonathan Viner, London, 2013[39]
  • Sunsets and Pussy, with Ed Ruscha, Betty Tompkins and Piotr Uklanksi, Marianne Boesky, New York, 2013[39]
  • Merci Mercy, curated by Christine Messineo, 980 Madison Avenue, New York, 2013[39]
  • Beyond the Object, Brand New Gallery, Milan, 2013[39]
  • It Ain't Fair 2012, OHWOW Gallery, Miami Beach, 2012[39]
  • Here Comes, Mark Fletcher, New York, 2012[39]
  • Homebody, The Stillhouse Group, Brooklyn, 2011[39]
  • It Ain't Fair: Materialism, OHWOW Gallery, Miami, 2011[39]
  • Black Eye, curated by Nicola Vassell, 54 Crosby St, New York, 2011[39]
  • Jack Siegel and Lucien Smith: Imagined Nostalgia, Cooper Union, New York, 2011[39]
  • Objects that Love You Back, curated by Grear Patterson, Stillhouse, New York, 2010[39]
  • It Ain't Fair 2010, OHWOW Gallery, Miami, 2010[39]
  • While It Lasts, The Still House Group, New York, 2010[42]
  • New Deal, curated by Kyle Thurman and Matt Moravec, Art Production Fund Gallery, New York, 2009[39]
  • May Flowers, curated by Scott Keightley, New York, 2009[39]
  • I want a little sugar in my bowl, curated by Terence Koh, ASS Gallery, New York, 2009[39]
  • Stillhouse, Seven Eleven Gallery, New York, 2008[39]

Notes

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  1. ↑ Posthumous[18]

References

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  1. ↑ "30 Under 30 - Art & Style". Forbes. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  2. ↑ Adams, Susan (January 6, 2014). "30 Under 30: The Best Of Art And Style". Forbes. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  3. ↑ Baumgardner, Julie (May 7, 2013). "A Wunderkind Artist Summons a Barely Bygone New York". The New York Times T Magazine. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  4. ↑ Guiducci, Mark (May 19, 2014). "Can Anything Stop Art-World Wunderkind Lucien Smith?". Vogue. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  5. ↑ Estiler, Keith (May 2, 2018). "A Look Inside Lucien Smith's "FRIENDS" Exhibit at Virgil Abloh's EM PTY GALLERY". Hypebeast. Retrieved September 10, 2026.
  6. ↑ Hu, Winnie (November 6, 2015). "Bronx Pop-Up Art Show Prompts Criticism That It Invoked Borough's Painful Past". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 10, 2026.
  7. ↑ Leslie, Bridget Moreen (September 12, 2019). "'Domestic Horror' on the Upper East Side". Fine Art Globe. Retrieved September 9, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Lucien Smith". The Watermill Center. April 1, 2019. Retrieved September 10, 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 Williams, Alex (September 9, 2026). "Lucien Smith, Art-World Star Whose Career Abruptly Turned, Dies at 37". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 9, 2026.
  10. ↑ Sanders-Smith, Terrence. "Biography". Terrence Sanders-Smith. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  11. ↑ Butler, Harison (September 10, 2026). "Lucien Smith, 1989–2026". ArtAsiaPacific. Retrieved September 13, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Showing: Lucien Smith – "Cripple Creek" @ Ritter / Zamet (London)". Arrested Motion. November 25, 2011. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Serve the People Lucien Smith". May 14, 2018.
  14. ↑ "What is Serving the People?". July 22, 2022.
  15. ↑ Kovaleva, Ekaterina (July 19, 2017). "Artist Lucien Smith Transforms His L.A. Studio Into a Project Space and Food Bank". Artnet News. Retrieved September 10, 2026.
  16. ↑ Escalante-De Mattei, Shanti (October 20, 2021). "Artist Lucien Smith Joins NFT-Oriented Equity Management Firm to Address Market Imbalances". ARTnews. Retrieved September 10, 2026.
  17. ↑ Escalante-De Mattei, Shanti (December 16, 2021). "Lucien Smith Drops First NFT Collection 'Seeds'". ARTnews. Retrieved September 10, 2026.
  18. 1 2 Ekstrand, Anna Mikaela (September 8, 2026). "Lucien Smith, Never Just the Wunderkind, Dies at 37". Cultbytes. Retrieved September 10, 2026.
  19. ↑ Ikeuchi, Erin (September 9, 2026). "Remembering Lucien Smith, the Champion of Emerging Artists". Hypebeast. Retrieved September 10, 2026.
  20. ↑ Greenberger, Alex (December 1, 2014). "Lucien Smith's Father Calls His Son a 'Coward'". ARTnews. Retrieved September 13, 2026.
  21. ↑ Chaudhry, Sameen (September 9, 2026). "Lucien Smith, influential New York artist, dies at 37". USA TODAY. Retrieved September 10, 2026.
  22. 1 2 Vidal-Irizarry, Gabi (September 8, 2026). "Lucien Smith, Inventive Painter and Downtown Art-World Fixture, Dies at 37". Artnet News. Retrieved September 9, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Lucien Smith - 64 Artworks, Bio & Shows". Artsy. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  24. 1 2 3 4 Viveros-Fauné, Christian (June 4, 2014). "At UES Show, Lucien Smith Leads the Charge of the Opportunist Brigade". Village Voice. Archived from the original on June 6, 2014. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  25. ↑ "Lot 1 12 February 2014". Sotheby's. Archived from the original on February 15, 2014.
    - Vogel, Carol (February 13, 2014). "London Auction Houses See High Prices for Contemporary Art". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 15, 2014.
  26. ↑ White, Katie (September 9, 2026). "American artist Lucien Smith dies at 37". Artsy. Retrieved September 10, 2026.
  27. ↑ "Lucien Smith | HENI News Profile". HENI News. Retrieved September 10, 2026.
  28. ↑ Bollen, Christopher (December 12, 2013). "Lucien Smith". Interview.
  29. ↑ Wiley, Chris (July 26, 2018). "The Toxic Legacy of Zombie Formalism, Part 1: How an Unhinged Economy Spawned a New World of 'Debt Aesthetics'". Artnet News.
  30. ↑ "(#1) Lucien Smith". Sothebys.com. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  31. ↑ "Lucien Smith - Tigris - Exhibitions". www.skarstedt.com. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  32. ↑ Ikeuchi, Erin (June 10, 2026). "Lucien Smith Unveils 'Burn Down the House' at Kearsey & Gold". Hypebeast. Retrieved September 10, 2026.
  33. ↑ Marcus, Ezra (September 8, 2026). "Lucien Smith Was Planning a Comeback". Grub Street. Retrieved September 10, 2026.
  34. ↑ "Lucien Smith "People Are Strange"". willshott. Retrieved September 10, 2026.
  35. ↑ Siegler, Mara (September 8, 2026). "Artist and downtown darling, Lucien Smith, dead at 37". Page Six. Retrieved September 10, 2026.
  36. ↑ "Lucien Smith". HALF GALLERY. Retrieved September 10, 2026.
  37. ↑ "SECRET GARDEN". Over the Influence. May 20, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2026.
  38. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 "Lucien Smith" (PDF). Over the Influence. Retrieved September 10, 2026.
  39. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 "lucien smith" (PDF). The Fireplace Project. Retrieved September 10, 2026.
  40. ↑ "Tripoli Gallery". Tripoli Gallery. Retrieved September 10, 2026.
  41. ↑ "Snarl Of Twine". Magenta Plains. Retrieved September 10, 2026.
  42. ↑ "Archive". THE STILL HOUSE GROUP. Retrieved September 10, 2026.
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