Kimber Smith

Departing from the forceful monumentality of the Abstract Expressionist era, the artist embraced a style characterized by lyrical compositions and a unique lexicon of personal symbols. Rather than pursuing grandiosity, the focus shifted to creating relatively modest paintings featuring simple, entropic forms and a harmonious interplay of colors.

The artistic legacy of Kimber Smith endures through his works, which are part of the permanent collections of prestigious institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Art Institute of Chicago; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; the Dayton Art Institute; Guild Hall Museum, East Hampton; among others. 

Biography of Kimber Smith

Kimber Smith, an American abstract painter, was born in Boston, MA, USA, in 1922. Following the conclusion of World War II, Smith pursued art studies at the Art Students League of New York.

His inaugural exhibition took place at The New Gallery in 1951, where his artworks were showcased alongside those of Joan Mitchell. Subsequently, he held a solo exhibition at The New Gallery in 1954. The same year, Smith ventured to Paris, becoming part of an expatriate community of American painters, including Joan Mitchell, Sam Francis, and Shirley Jaffe.

Smith's artistic contributions were featured in the 1958 survey exhibition of American abstraction, "Die Neue Amerikanische Malerei," at Kunsthalle Basel in Switzerland, organized by the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Having taught at the Dayton Art Institute in Ohio, a solo exhibition of Smith's work was presented there in 1965. He returned to New York in 1966, garnering significant critical acclaim. His works were exhibited in various galleries, such as André Emmerich, and he was honored with a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1971.

Kimber Smith passed away in 1981 in Southampton, NY.