Cauleen Smith

Who is Cauleen Smith?

Cauleen Smith is a California filmmaker and interdisciplinary artist. Born in Riverside and raised in Sacramento, she completed a B.A. in Cinema at San Francisco State University before moving on to a Master of Fine Arts Program at UCLA - School of Theater, Film and Television. Smith also received a degree from Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture Maine in 2007.

What characteristics define Smith's artistic practice?

Two concepts are central to Smith's art: experimentation and non-linearity. These concepts are reflected in her utilization of a variety of media to convey her message. Having manifested a longstanding intellectual focus on issues of Black cinema, Afrofuturism, Black feminism, Afrocentric aesthetics and Third World Cinema since her student days, Smith engages these topics with an inquisitive eye that continuously inquires into the histories of Black gathering and retreat.

Smith's films, video installations and sculptures acquire depth through her deft application of epic soundscapes, grandiose design solutions, judicious use of lighting and a refined editing style. Meaning subtly peeks through layered references that are brimming with questions about identity and acceptance, driven by a research-based approach that emphasizes the enduring bond between placemaking and world-building. Smith encourages her viewers to contemplate these questions outside of their usual framework of tension and conflict, instead pointing towards a future bereft of false dichotomies.

Where have Smith's works been exhibited?

Cauleen Smith's films, objects and installations have been presented at a multitude of museums, galleries, and festivals. Her solo exhibitions include: Zeitz MOCAA (2025), Astrup Fearney Museet (2024), Aspen Art Museum (2023-24), Los Angeles County Museum of Art (2021), Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (2021), Whitney Museum of American Art (2020-21), Art Institute of Chicago (2018).

Smith has participated in group exhibitions at: Studio Museum of Harlem, New Museum, Blanton Museum of Art, San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Stedelijk Museum, Tate Modern, Whitney Biennial (2017), Prospect 4 (2017), and many more.

What awards and recognitions has Smith received?

For her outstanding creations Smith has received numerous awards and grants: Heinz Award in 2022, Guggenheim Fellowship in 2021, Joyce Alexander Wein Artist Prize from the Studio Museum in Harlem in 2020, the inaugural Ellsworth Kelly Award from the Foundation for Contemporary Art in 2016, Herb Alpert Award for Film/Video in 2016, Rockefeller Media Arts Award, Creative Capital Film/Video, Chicago 3Arts Grant, Rauschenberg Residency in 2015.

What projects is Smith involved in?

Smith has participated in a number of residency programs, mostly centered around Chicago: ThreeWalls, Black Metropolis Research Consortium, Experimental Art Studio, University of Chicago Arts Incubator. During her residency at ThreeWalls in 2010, she conceived the Solar Flare Arkestral Marching Band Project, which involved marching bands from two high schools descending like a flash mob in various parts of the city that had been affected by youth violence.

In 2022, Smith joined the faculty of the Department of Art at UCLA, her alma mater, where she currently instructs undergraduate and graduate students on video and audio installations.

Where can I find more information about Smith?

Smith maintains an online presence through her site and on Instagram. She is represented by Corbett vs. Dempsey and Morán Morán.