Jessica Smith (b. 2001) is an emerging artist living and working on Darkinjung Country, Australia. Her ceramics-based practice explores the complex entanglements of cultural, material, and geological histories embedded within clay bodies. Smith is currently completing a Master of Fine Art degree at the National Art School on Gadigal Country, Australia and in 2022 graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Art, majoring in ceramics. At the annual Graduate Exhibition, she was the inaugural recipient of the Merran Esson Student Award. She has been a finalist in several acclaimed Australian prizes, including the Fisher’s Ghost Art Award (2023, 2024), the Gosford Art Prize (2021, 2023, 2024), and was awarded second place in the 2022 Shelley Simpson Ceramics Prize, Mud Australia.
CV
| 2001 | Born Central Coast, Darkinjung Country, Australia |
| 2022 | Bachelor of Fine Arts, National Art School, Sydney, Australia |
| Present | Master of Fine Art, National Art School |
| 2025 | The Post Grad Show, National Art School
On Shared Ground, The Drawing Gallery, National Art School Futurescapes, Gosford Regional Gallery Earth and Sky, Library Stairwell Gallery, National Art School |
| 2024 | Hard Currency, National Art School
Next Dimension, Goodspace Gallery |
| 2023 | Hooray for Hollywood, Hollywood Hotel
Young Talent, Affordable Art Fair, Sydney A Fresh Perspective, Lowe and Lee Gallery (formally Kerrie Lowe Gallery) New Art 23, Delmar Gallery Care/More, Anti-gallery, Annandale, Gadigal Land Dreams are Open, Goodspace Gallery |
| 2022 | Bachelor of Fine Art Graduation Show, National Art School
Natural Haptics: An Emerging Ceramics Exhibition Library Stairwell Gallery, National Art School |
| 2021 | Drawing Week Exhibition, Rayner Hoff Space, National Art School |
| 2025 | Finalist NAS Library Artists’ Book Annual Award and Exhibition, Library Stairwell Gallery |
| 2024 | Bouddi Foundation for the Arts Grant for Young Artists
Finalist Fisher’s Ghost Art Award, Campbelltown Arts Centre Finalist Gosford Art Prize, Gosford Regional Gallery |
| 2023 | Finalist Fisher’s Ghost Art Award, Campbelltown Arts Centre
Finalist Gosford Art Prize, Gosford Regional Galler |
| 2022 | The Merran Esson Student Award, National Art School
Emerging World Stage Exhibition at Clay Gulgong curated by New York gallerists Garth Clark and Mark Del Vecchio, Mansfield Ceramics Second Prize Shelley Simpson Ceramics Prize, Mud Australia |
| 2021 | Finalist Gosford Ceramic Art Prize, Gosford Regional Gallery |
