Joni Smith

Throughout her work, Smith creates systems and rules to adhere to and plays with the relationship between artist and machine.
Smith’s work encompasses drawing, paper cutting, painting and installation.

Joni Smith invites viewers to reassess how we trust visual representations of our world, especially as we shun the paper map in favour of the technological advances made by portable hand held GPS devices that tell us only the route we should be navigating and nothing else, other than  which will be 'the best' of the five places that you can buy a new business suit from before your night in the Travel Lodge.
Originally from Leamington Spa, raised in the hills of North Wales and currently residing in Norwich, Joni Smith received a degree in Fine Art Textiles from Loughborough University (2002) before completing a Masters degree in Textile Culture from Norwich University of the Arts (NUA) in 2007, attaining a Distinction. It is not hard to see that her background in textile-based disciplines informs Joni's use of paper materials.

EDUCATION
2007   Distinction, MA Textile Culture, Norwich University College of the Arts (NUCA), Norwich
2002   Second Class Honors, Upper Division, Multimedia Textiles, Loughborough University, Loughborough
1999   Foundation in Art and Design, Mid Warwickshire College, Leamington Spa

COMMISSIONS
Ongoing  -  Private collage, paper-cut, drawing and painting commissions
2019  paper hanging blue whale installation, Made, London
2018   ARTEFACT Consultants, Vintry & Mercer, London        
2017   ARTEFACT Consultants, Hotel Corinthia, London
2017   LiteraryAtlasWales, 'Deep Mapping'

English-language novels set in Wales, Cardiff
2015   Paper buildings for Architecture project with Michael Innes
2013   Commission: Hand cut topological style map of Birmingham
2011   Thames Map, Corinthia Hotel, London
2009   ‘Bon Appetite’, wood cut words in various languages, (W.C)

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2020  Window Takeover, Circlespace, Norwich
2020   Marzano & the Forum, Norwich
2020   Woolf & Social, Norwich

2019    Playhouse, Norwich
2017    Fairhurst Gallery, Norwich
2017    Marzano, Norwich / E Street Smokehouse, Norwich
2016    Tealeaf London, London
2013    Festival of Architecture FANN13, Fabulous Frames, Norwich
2011    Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow, Stew Gallery, Norwich
2011    Festival of Architecture Norwich and Norfolk 2011, The Iron House, Norwich
2009    Targetfollow at Center Point, London

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2020

Inter-lude, Marzano & the Forum, Norwich
Works on Paper, Frestonian Gallery, London
2019 

'FESTIVAL', Norfolk by Design (now Contemporary and Country), Houghton Hall, Norfolk

Emanate, Anteros Arts Foundation, Norwich

Literary Atlas Wales, Touring Exhibition, Wales
2018   

'ORDINARY WORLDS', Norfolk by Design, (now Contemporary and Country), Creake Abbey, Norfolk

'When Will You Learn That There Isn't a Word for Everything?', Nunn's Yard, Norwich
Cley18, Cley, Norfolk
2016   

Building Art Spaces, Artists 8, Nunns Yard Gallery, Norwich
2014   

Foxlowe Art Centre, PAPER exhibition, Staffordshire
Hidden exhibition, The Undercroft, Norwich
2012

Space Art Life Summer exhibition, Brick Lane, London
2010   

Where Are You Now?, The Gallery, NUCA, Norwich
2009   

Made to Measure, 'Fusion' in conjunction with the BBC, at The Forum, Norwich
2007   

Masters Exhibition, NUCA, Norwich
The Late Shift - Architecture week, Sainsbury Centre, Norwich (more info)
2006   

'In Rete' (in the net) mini art textiles, Touring exhibition, Como, Italy
MA Show 2006, NUCA, Norwich2012  Submit & Exhibit, Art in the Underbelly, Rumsey Wells, Norwich
Matter out of Place, Place out of Matter, NSAD, Norwich
Art and East Anglia program, Sainsbury Centre, Norwich

 

RESIDENCIES & TEACHING EXPERIENCE

2011         Summer Residency, Stew Gallery, Norwich

2008-10   Sessional work on MA Textile Culture, NUCA, Norwich
2009-10   Artist in Residence, Wymondham College, Norfolk
2008-09   Residency, City College, Norwich
2005-06   Graduate Teaching Assistant on BA Contemporary Textiles and Fine Art
2003        Teaching AVCE Fashion Textiles, Warwickshire College, Leamington Spa