National Portrait Gallery

Kyle Vander-Kuyp 2006 Leah King-Smith

Kyle Vander-Kuyp 2006 Leah King-Smith
Untitled 1 - From Athletes Series 2006
Archival dyes on film
100cm x 100cm (approx)

Davina Hughes - From Athletes Series 2006 2006 Leah King-Smith

Davina Hughes - From Athletes Series 2006 2006 Leah King-Smith
Archival dyes on film
100cm x 100cm (approx)

LEAH KING-SMITH

Indigenous cultural empowerment has been a fundamental thread in Leah King- Smith’s practice over the past two decades. Born in Gympie in Queensland, King-Smith holds graduate and post graduate degrees in fine art and is currently a PhD Candidate at Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane. Throughout her career, she has been included in significant group exhibitions of contemporary Australian art and has had regular solo exhibitions. Her solo exhibition Patterns of Connection, 1992 – 1994, travelled extensively to venues in the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States and New Zealand. Recent major group exhibitions include The Changing Face of Victoria, State Library of Victoria 2005, Black Photography, touring exhibition from Albury Regional Gallery 2005 and Art Connexions: German and Asia/Pacific photomedia artists cultural exchange program, organised by the Goethe Institut, RMIT Gallery Melbourne and Studio Gallery Singapore 2005-2006. King-Smith’s work is held in the National Gallery of Australia’s collection, most State Gallery collections and in other public collections in Australia.

"My photographic practice could mostly be described as both political and spiritual in the sense that as an Aboriginal Indigenous artist I take stock of the rationalising effect of the technologies I use, and create work that evokes nature and spirit. My methods often involve re-photographing or digitally re-working landscape photographs and adding historical or cultural icons of significance. Working with Indigenous athletes has been an honour and a pleasure. I admire the athletes’ passion and dedication to their chosen sport, and above all their humility which seems a trait somewhat in contrast to what it takes to attain the highest levels of achievement. Indigenous athletes are wonderful role models for all Australians, and in making creative work that places their luminary presence with the land, I am aligning sportspeople with a deep sense of nature and spirit."

~Leah King-Smith