Josh Smith, born in Okinawa, Japan, and raised in Tennessee, is a versatile artist known for his innovative use of various mediums, including painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, and artist books. Initially trained as a printmaker, he began his career in the early 2000s creating layered collages that combined photocopies, documents, and drawings, influenced by surrealism and expressionism.
Smith gained recognition for his iconic "name paintings," using the letters of his own name to explore abstract imagery. Over time, his work evolved to include partly figurative series featuring motifs like palm trees, skeletons, fish, devils, and his notable Grim Reaper, which debuted in a 2017 solo exhibition at STANDARD (OSLO).
A graduate of Miami University and the University of Tennessee, Smith continues to challenge artistic conventions with his experimental approach and prolific output across a wide range of mediums.