Lillian Smith

Lillian Smith works from her studio in Brooklyn, New York, bringing architectural training to her ceramic practice. Born in Oklahoma, Smith completed her Bachelor of Architecture at Oklahoma State University in 2023 before apprenticing in ceramics studios across Vermont, Oklahoma, and New York.

Smith works primarily with porcelain and light speckled clay, creating unglazed and occasionally glazed pieces through a meditative process that engages both hands simultaneously. Her technique produces mirrored forms that evolve from initial shapes into highly detailed biomorphic sculptures over hours of refinement. Drawing inspiration from architectural ornament, bones, and natural forms, Smith develops pieces that navigate the delicate balance between the eerie and the beautiful.

The contrast between Smith's Oklahoma origins and Brooklyn present emerges in her work, with earlier pieces reflecting a more ornamental quality while her Brooklyn creations explore bone-like structures and urban influences from neighborhoods like Bed-Stuy and Bushwick. Her pieces function as portals of energy, capturing both playful lightness and structural gravity in forms that reflect her unique artistic vision.