Gwen Smith’s The Black Women Project (Vol. 1 & 2) is a collection of her painted portraits of renowned Black Women. Smith uses selfies to reference each time she entered her studio over a period of 2.5 years, creating a rhythm by merging her identity as a Black Woman with her subjects. Some of the women Smith chooses to paint are artists, scientists, educators, politicians, writers, poets and performers. All are respected by Smith and provide the impetus for her ongoing self exploration.

Volume 2 was finished in a matter of six months during the novel coronavirus lockdown in New York.  The pandemic brought on a profusion of exposure to Black Women through the global protests against the murder and subjugation of black lives. 

Smith evolved from one volume to the other, as her commitment and practice formed a system of documentation akin to a growth chart. She refined her instrument to visualize and vocalize the abundance of Black Women’s contributions, and their ability to endure and thrive against the odds. 

In her earlier publications, Tropic, Cancer and Edgy, Gwen Smith’s lens-based focus deconstructs concepts of leisure to share her concerns, joys and passions. Her zine, The Yoda Project, records 16 years with her partner Haim Steinbach and their son River. The collection is a testament to their relationship and artistic practice, creating multiple inquiries through humor, ritual, graphic design, and chronology.