Emily Mae Smith

Emily Mae Smith (b. 1979, Austin, Texas) is a Brooklyn-based artist known for her witty, vibrant paintings that blend art historical influences - such as Symbolism, Surrealism and Pop Art - with a feminist perspective. Her works often feature an anthropomorphic broomstick character, a recurring motif symbolizing domestic labor, the painter’s brush and a phallic form. This figure evolves across her body of work, allowing Smith to address contemporary issues like gender, sexuality, capitalism and violence.

 

Smith's compositions challenge art history’s masculine narratives, inserting feminist interiority while engaging with traditional painting styles. Her playful yet incisive paintings are both visually alluring and conceptually layered, offering a commentary on timely sociopolitical themes.

 

Her work has been exhibited widely, including solo shows at institutions such as the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art (Hartford), Le Consortium Museum (Dijon) and Petzel Gallery (New York). Her art is held in major collections, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, Dallas Museum of Art and Los Angeles County Museum of Art. With paintings that have reached seven-figure prices on the secondary market, Smith continues to reimagine art history through her distinct visual language.