Philip Smith

Philip Smith (b. Miami) is a visual artist whose work is the embodiment of a spectrum of influences—from a childhood imbued with mystical and spiritual healing to ancient pictographs—creating a tapestry of personal and collective memory. His iconography is derived from biology texts, diagrams and Cold War spy manuals, to name just a few.

As a young artist, Smith moved from his home in Miami to New York, working as a writer for Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine, before going on to become managing editor of GQ until 2018—when he moved back home to Miami. His unusual trajectory as both a storyteller and visual artist has been captured in his memoir, Walking Through Walls (Simon & Schuster, 2008), the true story of growing up with a father who discovers that he has supernatural powers.

Smith’s work has since been widely exhibited in the U.S. and abroad. Featured in the Whitney Biennial and Beijing International Art Biennale, his work is held in the permanent collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art and in the collections of Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Dallas Museum of Art, Detroit Institute of Arts, Pérez Art Museum Miami and Oberlin College’s Allen Memorial Art Museum, among others.

Learn more about Philip on his website here.

Commissioned Work

Filmed by Jorge Gonzalez Graupera