Josh Smith (b. 1976)

Born in Okinawa, Japan, and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, contemporary artist Josh Smith is best known for his aggressive gestural paintings—which came to prominence in the early 2000s with a series of canvases depicting the artist’s own name. Smith’s work has exhibited extensively in the U.S. and abroad, including in group shows at the Museum of Modern Art, New York City, and the Lyon Biennial, France; as well as solo shows at the Centre d’Art Contemporain, Geneva; and the Frans Hals Museum in The Netherlands. Smith lives and works in New York City.