As a young child, born and raised in Washington, DC, I had two loves; art and basketball. As a child of the inner city, the outcome of my future was determined by how I spent my time. When I wasn’t playing basketball, I was keeping myself busy with a sketchbook. I strived to busy the body and the mind. I was blessed with the opportunity to attend the Duke Ellington School of Arts in Washington, DC. It was there that my passion for visual arts was cultivated and explored. While studying at Duke Ellington, my love for visual arts blossomed more fondly into portrait art. While exploring this new found love, I oftentimes found myself in the hot seat with my teachers when I could be found drawing my classmates instead of focusing on my assignments. I would get lost in the expression and tones of the human face and wanted to archive it on paper. I found that art was almost often my saving grace. From childhood through adulthood, it was the one thing that gave me peace and faith, no matter how difficult life had become. I even look back at photographs of myself and produce self-portraits based on those periods of my life; remembering joy and pain, and knowing that my brush strokes would memorialize these memories. In the present day, some of my favorite subjects, like Malcolm X (El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, respectfully) and Marvin Gaye, are those who have struggled and overcome and inspired social change. Even as I grow older, I find myself drawn to images of global significance, often feeling connected to the imagery of children and families in Africa, the Caribbean and the Middle East, as seen in some of my more recent work. It is the intricacies and nuances of human expression, struggle, and emotion that moves me in my art. In early adult years, I also found a strong love for music. Being able to channel all of life’s experiences into something positive and productive was paramount. In addition to visual art, music and writing became that outlet. I now enjoy creating music and art compilations; putting rhythm to what I felt when I completed a new project . My Artvwork has been exhibited in Italy Tia China New York Delaware Baltimore Rome and Washington DC . My Art work was also included in the Private estate Auction of Peggy Cooper Crafitz at Sotheby’s Auction house in New York.
Patrick T. Smith is a contemporary artist whose work stands at the intersection of technical mastery and cultural preservation. From his origins at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts to representing the United States on the international stage, Smith has cultivated a visual language that bridges urban grit with high-definition precision. His work is defined by an exploration of human expression, hyper-realistic rendering, and a relentless pursuit of “monumental” aesthetic permanence.
COLLECTIONS & PROVENANCE The Peggy Cooper Cafritz Collection Smith’s work was selected for the private collection of the legendary Peggy Cooper Cafritz, one of the most influential patrons of Black art in American history. As a testament to its enduring market value and cultural significance, his work within the Cafritz estate was later handled and auctioned by the world-renowned Sotheby’s Auction House, placing his art in the lineage of the world’s most prestigious private and public collections.
GLOBAL EXHIBITION HISTORY • EUROPE: Selected as the U.S. representative for the “Merì – Timeless Eternal Art” permanent open-air museum in Sicily, Italy—a project dedicated to art that defies the passage of time. • ASIA: Exhibited in Tia, China, introducing his unique fusion of American urban themes and technical precision to a global Eastern audience.
NEW YORK: Featured in the “Inner Child” exhibition in Manhattan, navigating the epicenter of the global art market with works that explore the nuances of memory and development.
WASHINGTON D.C.: Showcased at the Pepco Edison Place Gallery, a landmark venue for major cultural dialogue in the heart of the nation’s capital.
ARTISTIC PHILOSOPHY & TECHNIQUE Smith’s practice is a synthesis of his formal education in Printing Technology and his professional background in scientific Media Preparation. This dual foundation allows him to execute: • Hyper-Realistic Rendering: A meticulous approach to texture, tone, and the “intricacies of human struggle.”
