The Kick Painting

Thao Dien, April 2023 Tom Smith is an Irish artist with an extensive artistic background that includes being a founding member of the Poole-based ArtWorks Studio collective and a graduate of the esteemed Art Institution in Bournemouth. For the past sixteen years, the artist has resided in Southeast Asia where he has established himself a recognized figure within the local expat art scene. Drawing inspiration from the German Expressionist movement, particularly Der Blaue Reiter and Die Brücke, the artist identifies as a Post Neo-Expressionist, and his work exudes a similar vibrancy and complexity. Furthermore Smith explores other methodologies such as graffiti style stenciling or producing monochromes in graphite and resin which create outcomes similar to daguerrotypes in early photography. Overall, through exploring the nuances of incongruity and ambiguity, the artist's pieces have been commented upon for their subtle, latent foreboding. Having held solo exhibitions in London and the South West of England, the artist's most recent project, entitled "Tourist," is a continuation of the themes explored in their earlier series, "The Visitors," which was featured in the 2014 exhibition "Nevertheless." The show 'Tourist', which was held at Soma in Ho Chi Minh City in March 2022, garnered considerable interest for its captivating depictions of Asian landscapes populated by an eclectic cast of characters whose juxtaposition serves as a crucial narrative counterpoint. As a result, the exhibition firmly established Soma on the local artistic map.