Nathaniel Kyung Smith

Nathaniel Kyung Smith (b. 1990, St. Peter, MN) grew up in a small Minnesota town, near the Grand
Marais on the edge of Lake Superior. Dreamily he recalls how “...the water was so still and clear you
could see hundreds of feet underwater.” Smith would boulder among the natural rock formations on the edge of the lake, and stack rocks on the beach, fiddling away hours studying shapes and objects in his surroundings. Significant markers of his childhood were spent doing repetitive tasks at his parent’s flower shop. Smith grew up in a unique household; his parents had an arranged marriage, and the small, mostly Lutheran community viewed the family’s involvement in a Korean cult as ‘non-traditional’.

From his earliest memories, Smith knew he wanted to be an artist. “Art is a way of seeing. It can present
what can only be learned and understood through feeling. It is a visceral teacher and communicator of
ideas and experiences. As an artist, I am interested in the relationship with the self through the human
body, and I consider the varying ways constituent parts interact. I am interested in how people project
stories and personalities onto symbolic objects. Being drawn to classical and modern forms in traditional mediums, there is a pursuit of the ‘divine truth’ through experimentation and imagination. Using objective pursuits for subjective ends. Embodying the metaphysical and symbolic. The story is contained in the form. ‘Guardian / Messenger’ evokes a mythical creature with a divine purpose. Embodying physical characteristics of a hoofed beast, with a human-like face, this sphinx-like creature is filled with the tension of movement and stillness, a sensually stoic presence embodying attention and power.”
Smith’s figurative work references modernist sculpture, including cubism, surrealism, and naturalism.
Smith sculpts figurative works in stone, ceramic, and other hard materials. The use of traditional materials is an intentional tool bridging human experience through the arch of history. With a background in religious cults, canonical Western literature, and art history, the Artist is concerned with frameworks for knowing truth within the limitations of power structures.
Smith lives and practices in Los Angeles. He studied at Biola University in Los Angeles, receiving his BFA in Studio Arts in 2014. He was trained under master stone carver Joanne Duby. COMMON BODY, is his studio practice where he hones his artistry with a sustainable approach. He has exhibited in group exhibitions at Green Gallery, Prism Gallery, and Pasadena City College in Los Angeles, and has publicly visible artworks in Los Angeles and Huntington Park.