Natalie Smith

Queen of Heaven, 2020
Oil on canvas
60 x96 inches

Artist Statement
This painting was made as a reflection on the cow or the bull archetype, known to ancient cultures as the Queen of Heaven and creator of the great Milky Way Galaxy. Across cultures and spanning millennia, the cow possesses the power of the eternal mother: birth and rebirth, of expansion and contraction, the life force of Spring, beauty, sex pleasure and becoming. This painting is a continuation of a body of works deailng with my shadow. In these paintings, I am reconciling the conscious and unconscious selves into one whole, honoring space for our experiences that remain on the edge of knowing.

Natalie Smith
Queen of Heaven, 2020
Oil on canvas
60 x 96 inches

Biography
Natalie Smith (b. 1986 Chicago, IL) lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. Her practice spans painting, drawing, and sculpture to confront the ways that not only beauty and pleasure, but also ambiguity and bewilderment are necessary in our acts of survival. Recent group shows include U’s in Calgary and Spirit in Los Angeles. Her work has also been exhibited at The Center for Contemporary Arts in Santa Fe, NM, the University of New Mexico Art Museum and in a public project with the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. This fall, Natalie was a visiting artist at the American Academy in Rome. She received her BFA from the University of Illinois and MFA from The University of New Mexico.