Dee Smart Australia

Lives and works in SYDNEY, NSW, Australia

Painting directly from life, her dynamic yet intimate portraits peel away the armour of the modern world to reveal the truth, vulnerabilities and inherent strength of the sitter. In an act of defiance, Smart reimagines powerful women to challenge the prevailing narrative of women as passive objects of desire, instead casting them as a sovereign agent of change and transformation. Echoes of luminaries such as Audre Lorde and Bell Hooks reverberate through Smart's work, guiding us through the labyrinthine corridors of identity and resistance.

Smart moved from Adelaide to Melbourne as a teenager to study ballet at the Victorian College of Arts. Further studies in acting in Sydney led to a successful career in film, television and stage. Following the birth of her first child, Smart began pursuing visual arts where a passion for life drawing led directly to a painting career that has gained significant momentum in recent years.

In 2017 and 2018, Smart was selected as a finalist in the Archibald Prize—her first two attempts. Both works achieved notoriety for their pop sensibility and dynamic palette. Her 2018 Archibald portrait was ultimately collected by one of the most prominent private collections of female artists in Australia. She has also been a finalist in the Paddington Art Prize and multiple time finalist of the Portia Geach Memorial Award—Australia’s most important art prize for portraiture by women artists. 

These, along with success in other significant prizes, underline her rising star. Recently, the prestigious Bennett Collection in the United States included Smart’s work in their collection, making her one of only three Australian artists to be acknowledged in this space.