Kansas Smeaton
Interview with Sophia V Lark
Meet Kansas Smeaton, an emerging artist specializing in oil painting and portraiture. Her practice explores the complexity of power dynamics, gender and sexuality, empowering her subjects to reclaim their power. Heavily inspired by the Rococo art movement, Kansas creates beautifully intricate artworks heavily engaged with traditionalist practices, with a contemporary twist.
Shot by COMA gallery
Could you give us a preview, a short synopsis of you as a human being?
Oil painter. I feel like painting takes up so much of my life that it defines me at this point.
How did you find your way to working as an artist?
I've always loved art. And I think everybody loves art. It's something that is sort of drilled out of you. I really feel that everybody is born creative and everyone was born with a love of play and things like that. So I think just like inherently, I've always been like this, I think everyone's always like that. But I did a lot of art in high school, finished high school, went traveling, worked a little bit, and ended up in London. I was feeling really dissatisfied. I felt like my life didn’t have much meaning, and I was not accomplishing much nor feeling satisfied with what I was doing. So I decided to go home, went back to Sydney. I was thinking, what am I gonna do with my life? And I was like, you know what, I like the odd life...I like drawing and painting. So I went to TAFE to do Visual Arts to just see how it would go. And it was great, it gave me purpose. It was a very healing, very funny time in my life.
What drew you to exploring power dynamics, gender and sexuality within your art?
Yeah, so the power dynamics and sexuality and gender and everything. It's, you know, it's in play every single day, especially being a woman. You're constantly navigating this power dynamic, and anyone who's sort of not male and white is constantly having to work that little bit harder. In terms of everything. I find it very interesting to explore.
Why do you focus on portraiture as an art form?
I use portraiture, and the subjects in my work, to sort of take back a little bit of power. I focus mainly on 18th, maybe early 19th century portraiture, and even a little bit before, like the Baroque-Rococo period, where a lot of the portraits were of royals. So painting my subjects are those who are considered, or have been traditionally considered, sort of on the outskirts of society, such as sex workers, members of the LGBTQIA+ community and women - just anyone who's traditionally been oppressed. Painting them in this style of of an 18th century royal portrait reclaims that power for me.
Shot by COMA Gallery
What has it been like being signed to COMA gallery, and working as a professional artist?
Very hectic and full on. It's fun though, because you will just have three months of intense work. And then you'll have a show and then take a month off to decompress. Which is really nice. It's stressful, but it's satisfying and rewarding.
Community is evidently of great importance to you, tell me more about that.
Community is super important. I feel like I wouldn't get anywhere without community. It's really important to have help, and also to help − and ultimately it's the little things that matter the most.
What do you hope that Sydney evolves into as an artspace?
I hope it diversifies a bit more. I would like to see it keep up with international trends. You know, if you look at the European and American market, it's just so fun and new and fresh and exciting. I would like to see Sydney, and Australia as a whole get to the same level. It's slowly getting there...
Do you have any places in Sydney that inspire you - where you can connect with your practice the most?
Yeah, the studio of course, always. The Art Gallery of New South Wales permanent collection from the 19th century - it's beautiful. And I really do like COMA, even before I was with them.
Top three galleries in Sydney?
1. COMA
2. Artspace
3. White Rabbit Gallery
Who do you think is the most exciting young & emerging creative in Sydney?
Hunter Blue
@hunterblue
