Artist Biography

Background and Education

German-American artist Natalie Smith (née Goss) was born in 1967 to a German mother and an American father, whose heritage left a lasting impact on her identity and work. Raised in Germany, Natalie developed an early passion for painting, beginning at the age of eleven, and graduated from high school with a focus on languages and the arts. She pursued her Bachelor of Fine Arts in post-modern performances and experimental theatre at the Justus-Liebig-Universität in Giessen, Germany, where she studied under Professor Andrzej Wirth and collaborated with various guest artists, including members of the Wooster Group from New York City. Attending Documenta IX in Kassel was a formative experience, deepening her understanding of contemporary art. Natalie later moved to the United States to study painting and performance art at the University of Texas at Dallas. In 1995, she earned her Master of Fine Arts at the University of Montana.

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Professional Career

Following her academic studies, Smith embarked on a 20-year career as a theatre director and choreographer, working in Boston, Kauai, and San Francisco. After two decades dedicated to the performing arts, she returned to painting in 2012. Her renewed focus led her to experiment with a wide array of styles and textures, utilizing unconventional materials such as paper, concrete, coffee, and metals to create pieces with a more visceral and immersive effect. Natalie enhanced her artistic practice through instruction at the MUSEA Center for Intentional Creativity and Consciousness under Shiloh Sophia, where she integrated mystical figures and innovative approaches to working with canvas. Additionally, her participation in online courses led by Nicholas Wilton and Louise Fletcher equipped her with the skills and terminology necessary to translate abstract concepts into visual representations.

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Artistic Influences and Themes

Natalie Smith's artistic practice is deeply shaped by integrating and translating poetry into abstract forms, shapes, and colors. Living in Idaho, her work often references the arid landscapes and colors of the American West. These environments influence both her visual language and the emotional tone of her paintings. Recently, she began exploring and integrating native symbology, animism, and shamanism, while using mixed media to obtain a more visceral experience of her works. She is particularly interested in the "in-between"—the threshold where the physical and spiritual intersect.

 

Natalie Smith currently lives and works in Hailey, Idaho.

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Exhibitions

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MADS Gallery Milan, Italy, June - July, 2022 

MADS Gallery Fuerteventura, Spain, June - July, 2022 

Boomer Gallery, London, UK, June 2022

Jackson Hole Art Fair, 2022, 2023, 2025

SUN ART Exhibits 2022,2023, 2025

Sun Valley Arts and Crafts Festival, 2021 

Eagle Rock Arts Festival, Idaho Falls, July, 2022 

Ketchum Arts Festival 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025

Sun Valley Outdoor Holiday Exhibit 2021 to 2024

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