LI FTI N G TH E SKY: AM ERI CAN WO M EN ARTISTS
SIANA SMITH
SIZE: 48ʺH x 60ʺW MEDIUM: Oil on canvas
9.9.2020,37.7018464419476, -122.40675640172758 TH IS TITLE I N D I CATES the date Sept. 9, 2020, and the location for Bayshore Roundhouse’s ruin. On that day, the California wildfire generated plumes of smoke which blanketed the Bay Area and turned the sky an eerie dark orange. Bayshore Roundhouse, once built for the most expensive steam engine, is now obsolete and burned to
a ruin. I painted my daughter looking for the sublime in an apocalyptic environment, posted in crumbling buildings against graffiti-covered walls. I portray the rebellious and exploratory spirit of the next generation carrying on living despite the falling world they inherit from their elders.
S I A N A S M ITH • ASSOCIATE M E M B E R (CA) • WWW.SIANASM ITH.COM
Siana’s painting practice stems from her perspective on the world as an immigrant, a mother, a woman, and an artist. Her subject matter includes her daughter, lipsticks, purses, belts, jewelry, and crumpled tissues. Siana was awarded 2nd place in the AWA 2020 Spring Online Show. Two paintings were included in the 2020 De Young Open Exhibition. She graduates from CCA 2021 with an MFA. She holds an M.S. in Computer Science from Cal Poly Pomona and a B.S. in Horticulture from Huazhong Agriculture Univ., China. 136