BIOGRAPHY

Mark Liam Smith is an oil painter based in Toronto, Canada. He developed an interest in art at an early age and spent much of his childhood drawing obsessively. After completing three bachelor’s degrees (in Painting, Physiology and Linguistics) at the University of Saskatchewan, he spent many years working in Linguistics before returning to art.

Smith is colourblind, and his palette reflects that: he uses highly saturated, often non-local colours to render his realistic still lifes. He draws from his linguistics background to inject narrative and symbolism into his paintings.

Since he began painting professionally in 2015, he has shown his work in dozens of exhibitions and art fairs around the world, including SCOPE Basel, PULSE Art Fair in Miami Beach, Affordable Art Fair in NYC, Satellite Art Fair in NYC, Art Seattle, Art Toronto, and Papier Art Fair in Montreal. When he’s not painting, he’s teaching millions of others how to draw and paint on social media.

Smith’s art and art tutorials have been featured by BuzzFeed UK, American Art Collector Magazine, The Jealous Curator, Art People, Create Magazine, Creative Boom, Hi-Fructose, Booooooom, and Bizarre Beyond Belief Magazine, among others.

 

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor of Fine Arts (Painting), University of Saskatchewan
Bachelor of Science (Physiology), University of Saskatchewan
Bachelor of Arts (Linguistics), University of Saskatchewan

 

ART FAIRS

2022 Affordable Art Fair, Treat Gallery, New York City
2021 Affordable Art Fair, Treat Gallery, New York City
2021 Papier Art Fair, Galerie Youn, Montreal
2020 Papier Art Fair, Galerie Youn, Montreal
2019 PULSE Art Fair, Treat Gallery, Miami Beach
2019 Art Toronto, Galerie Youn, Toronto
2019 Satellite Art Show, Treat Gallery, New York City
2019 Papier Art Fair, Galerie Youn, Montreal
2018 Edition Art Fair, Akin Collective, Toronto
2018 Seattle Art Fair, Galerie Youn, Seattle
2018 Papier Montreal, Galerie Youn, Montreal
2017 Edition Art Fair, Akin Collective, Toronto
2016 SCOPE Basel, Art Ponte Gallery, Basel, Switzerland

 

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2021 Tulipmania, Galerie Youn, Montreal
2019 In Bloom Galerie Youn Montreal
2017 Of Centaurs and Men, Galerie Youn, Montreal
2016 Imagined Narratives, Elaine Fleck Gallery, Toronto

 

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2021 Holiday Show, Treat Gallery, New York City
2020 Flower + Power, Arcadia Contemporary, Los Angeles
2019 Threesome International Group Show, 19 Karen Contemporary, Gold Coast, Australia
2019 Summer Group Show, Galerie Youn, Montreal
2018 Get Noticed, Red Head Gallery, Toronto
2018 SALON VI, Project Gallery, Toronto
2018 Children of God, Costume House,Toronto
2018 Black & Noir, Galerie Youn, Montreal
2018 6th Anniversary, Galerie Youn, Montreal
2017 Flora, Galerie Youn, Montreal
2017 SALON V, Project Gallery, Toronto
2017 32nd Scarborough Arts, Bluffs Gallery, Scarborough
2017 Et Tu, Art Brute? Andrew Edlin Gallery, New York City
2017 ART x DESIGN, Vaughan City Hall, Vaughan
2017 Director’s Choice, 19 Karen Contemporary, Gold Coast, Australia
2017 555 Exhibition, Galerie Youn, Montreal
2017 New Works, Galerie Youn, Montreal
2016 Holiday Exhibition, Galerie Youn, Montreal
2016 A.I.R.S 2016, Federation Gallery, Vancouver
2016 It’s Art, D-Contemporary Gallery, London, UK
2016 Taste Makers II, Treat Gallery, New York City
2016 FRESH! 2016, JanKossen Contemporary, New York City
2016 Fleck Spring Show, Elaine Fleck Gallery, Toronto
2015 10-Year Anniversary Show, Elaine Fleck Gallery, Toronto
2015 Salon of Inclusiveness, The Black Cat Gallery, Toronto
2015 SALON III, Project Gallery, Toronto
2015 A.I.R.S. 2015, Federation Gallery, Vancouver
2015 Fleck Fall Show, Elaine Fleck Gallery,Toronto
2015 Flora, Hashtag Gallery,Toronto
2015 2nd-Year Juried Exhibition, The Black Cat Gallery, Toronto
2015 The Sex Show, Gallery 1313, Toronto

 

GRANTS AND AWARDS

2017 Ontario Arts Council Grant, Visual Artist: Emerging
2017 Ontario Arts Council Grant, Exhibition Assistance
2016 International Confederation of Art Critics: Award recipient, London, UK
2015 Federation of Canadian Artists, Emerging Artist Award

 

CHARITY AUCTIONS

2021 BMO Art for Kids Help Phone, Online Silent Auction, Montreal
2019 29th Annual Mistletoe Magic, John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto
2019 ArtSIDA 9 Charity Auction, Musée d’Art Contemporain, Montreal
2018 29th Annual Mistletoe Magic, John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto
2018 4th Annual Date for Dignity Gala, Calgary Pregnancy Centre, Calgary
2018 ArtSIDA 8 Charity Auction, AIDS Community Care, Montreal

 

PRESS

2022 Featured in BuzzFeed UK
2021 Featured in TimeOut
2020 Featured in American Art Collector
2020 Featured in Red Lips and Coffee Sips
2019 Featured in The Jealous Curator
2017 Featured in Novella Magazine
2017 Featured in Create! Magazine
2017 Featured in Bizarre Beyond Belief Magazine
2017 Featured in Shoreditch Magazine
2017 Featured in Create! Magazine
2016 Featured in Bizarre Beyond Belief Magazine
2016 Featured in Hi-Fructose Magazine
2016 Interview with Art Reveal Magazine (Issue 21) ISBN 978-1-36-690052-4
2016 Featured in Bizarre Beyond Belief Magazine
2016 Featured in Creative Boom
2016 Featured in Booooooom
2016 Featured with Art People magazine
2016 Featured in Fragmentos de Moda
2016 Featured in Loqueva
2016 Featured by “30sec film artists” created by FILMARTIST Productions
2016 Kids CBC 2 Feature: My Job is Awesome
2016 Featured in Fleck Fine Art Spring/Summer
2015 Featured in Fleck Fine Art Fall/Winter
2015 Featured in Foodaholic

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