My Artist Statement
Hi! My name is Amalia J. Smith.
My work centers Black women, inner peace, softness, and emotional restoration. Through portraiture and digital illustration, I create affirmation art that reflects the beauty, elegance, creativity, and emotional depth of Black women while offering moments of comfort, reflection, and encouragement. Inspired by the matriarchs in my family, my mother, grandmother, sorority sisters, and Black women broadly, my work explores themes of healing, burnout, rest, self-discovery, and longing for softer ways of living.
Around 2019, I stepped away from creating personal artwork to pursue a career in graphic design and creative marketing professionally. While that journey helped me grow as a designer and storyteller, I eventually realized that creating art for myself was never something I could truly separate from who I am. Returning to art has been both emotional and necessary, allowing me to reconnect with myself beyond productivity and performance.
As a self-taught artist and designer, I have been honored to receive recognition including Second Place at Fort Myers ArtFest (2016), the Juror’s Choice Award from Alliance for the Arts (2015–2016), the BIG ARTS Scholarship Award (2016), and Second Place in the 2016 Digital Lee Contest for Animation Design. My work was also featured in Wasmer Art Gallery and ArtLab at Florida Gulf Coast University in 2020.
Ultimately, I create for the little girls who grew up like me, imaginative, emotional, and filled with the urge to create. I hope my work reminds them that their creativity, softness, and voice deserve to take up space.
© 2015–2026 Amalia Smith. All rights reserved. All artwork, illustrations, and designs are the intellectual property of the artist and may not be reproduced, distributed, altered, or used commercially without written permission.
© 2015–2026 Amalia Smith. All rights reserved. All artwork, illustrations, and designs are the intellectual property of the artist and may not be reproduced, distributed, altered, or used commercially without written permission.