Art writing

Damian Smith has been an arts writer for more than 25 years. Commissioned by leading arts institutions and publishers including MCA Australia, NGV, Queensland University Museum and Routledge, Smith has written on such artists as Lindy Lee, Guan Wei, Xiao Lu, Rushdi Anwar, Nusra Qureshi, Gary Willis and others. He was awarded the Reconciliation Prize in the National Indigenous Heritage Art Awards in collaboration with Palawa artist Karen Casey and has curated at Indigenous art centres including the Koorie Heritage Trust and Martumili Artists.

Monographs2000 – 2025 · seven

• 2025Gary Willis 1970-2025 - Like a masked traveller drifting through timewith J Zimmer and G Willis, Words For Art
• 2023Visiting the Ancestorsin Angie Pai: Why You Like This, Chaos. Writers include Eugene Yiu Nam Cheung, James J. Robinson, Jason Phu, Leah Jing McIntosh, Lily Goodwin, Panda Wong, Sebastian Henry-Jones, Tasha Tylee, Con Gerakaris, and Damian Smith.
• 2012Matthew Bax: A picture is a picture is a stupid little picturein Pappas, A & Smith, D, Matthew Bax: Pretty little stupid pictures, Anna Pappas Gallery, Melbourne
• 2011Wayne Warren: Something from nothingin Dyer, J, Smith, D & Warren, W, Wayne Warren, China Art Projects, Beijing
• 2008The Portraits(Chap. 3), ‘The Tasmanian Landscape’ (Chap.4), ‘The Abstract Landscapes’ (Chap. 9), in Dyer, G, Pierce, P & Smith, D, Geoff Dyer: A Tasmanian Perspective, published by Geoff Dyer, Tasmania
• 2007Mike Nicholls: A powerful and indelible visionin Crawford, A & Smith D, Mike Nicholls: A work in progress, published by Mike Nicholls, Printed by Hinkler Books Australia
• 2000Gary Willis and the Impossible Dreamin Marsh, A, Smith, D & Willis, G, Diary of a Dead Beat Modern Art Type Gary Willis 1972-1982, Gulag Publishing

Exhibition catalogues2000 – 2024 · 79

• 2024ACAE Gallery: The Australasian Cultural Arts ExchangeACAE Gallery
• 2023David Freney Millis: HyperglyphsACAE Gallery
• 2023Tony Smibert: Tao SublimeACAE Gallery
• 2023Elmira Ng: 100 Children at PlayACAE Gallery – digital catalogue
• 2022Jaedon Shin: Paintings & Works on PaperACAE Gallery
• 2022Bronek Kozka: The Imperfect Beauty of the SublimeACAE Gallery, Melbourne
• 2022Ah Xian’s New Works on Paper: FledgingVermilion Gallery, Sydney
• 2022Smith D (ed.)Guan L (curator, translator) 2022 Silent Ritual: The Paintings of Zai Kuang & Xiaoyu Bai, ACAE Gallery, Melbourne
• 2022Minh Phan: Flight of the PhoenixACAE Gallery, Melbourne
• 2021Marieke Dench: Comparable ConsequencesChapman & Bailey, Melbourne
• 2019Shin Jaedon: The Other WorldACAE Gallery, Melbourne
• 2019Beyond the Light: He Zige541 Asia Art Space, Sydney
• 2018Hoovanah in the highest: Jacqui Stockdale and the post-colonial lensTHIS IS NO FANTASY / Dianne Tanzer Gallery + Nicola Stein, Melbourne
• 2018James Smeaton: Traversing the Wallace LineScott Livesey Gallery, Melbourne
• 2018Robin Astely: From Here to EternityPrivate View, Melbourne
• 2017One gallerytwo countries, seven artists and many intersections, in ‘Intercambio: Cuba Australia Video Exchange’, Blindside, Melbourne
• 2017Art at the HeartInternational Artist Residency, Shire of East Pilbara
• 2016Marieke Dench: SwatchChapman & Bailey, Melbourne
• 2015Mia Salsjö: The new age is a cultMars Gallery, Melbourne
• 2015Paper CultureChangzhou Museum, China
• 2014Marieke Dench’s monument to colourChapman & Bailey
• 2014Mia Salsjö: The value of engagementBali Artist Camp, Made Budiana Gallery, Bali
• 2013A.R.T – what does it mean?in Process Presence, Words For Art, (Italian translation: Cristina Maras), ISBN -13: 978-0-9875155-0-6
• 2013Co-varianceCounihan Gallery, Brunswick
• 2012Curator’s statement2012 Heartlands Refugee Fine Art Prize, Multicultural Arts Victoria & AMES, fortyfivedownstairs, Melbourne, Walker Street Gallery, Dandenong
• 2012Sifting Time…Chinese Museum, Melbourne
• 2011Bayside: LiveWork, Play, Bayside Arts & Cultural Centre, Melbourne
• 2011Curator’s Statementin Heartlands: Refugee Fine Art Prize, Multicultural Arts Victoria & AMES, fortyfivedownstairs, Melbourne
• 2011Cutting Space: New sculptural works by Ewen CoatesAnna Pappas Gallery, Melbourne
• 2011Charting new terrain: Unseen histories in the art of Annabel NowlanAnita Traverso Gallery, Melbourne
• 2011Cyrus Tang: Scenes from the crystal cityAnna Pappas Gallery, Melbourne
• 2011Jayne DyerUber Gallery, Melbourne,
• 2011Joanne Mott: Another TurnMARS Gallery, Melbourne
• 2011Karen Casey: Convex/Converse: hands across the PacificNew Zealand Academy of the Arts, Wellington
• 2011OAO: Jesse MarlowAnna Pappas Gallery, Melbourne
• 2011Paradise…a hell of a placeAnna Pappas Gallery, Melbourne
• 2011Project 12: This is not a love songAnna Pappas Gallery, Melbourne
• 2011Rod Moss: Dark days in the outbackAnna Pappas Gallery, Melbourne
• 2011Sidney Nolan Drought PhotographsAustralian Galleries, Melbourne
• 2010China Art Projects at Melbourne Art FairChina Art Projects, Beijing
• 2010Owen Leong: Dreaming of Butterfliesin ‘Birthmark’, Anna Pappas Gallery, Melbourne
• 2010Dependant Arisal in the work of Gonkar GyatsoChina Art Projects, Beijing
• 2010Kate Anderson: Surface tensions in Venice & BeijingBarry Stearn Gallery, Sydney
• 2010Matt Coyle: The ShadesAnna Pappas Gallery, Melbourne
• 2010Rides a White Horse. Fear in the work of Kate Jamesin Kate James, Craft Victoria & Maroondah Art Gallery
• 2010Post EdenToday Art Museum, Beijing
• 2009Celia Ko: Visiting the ancestorsin Celia Ko: That Moment Now, Lingnan University, Hong Kong
• 2009Lin Onus: Meaning of LifeMaroondah Art Gallery
• 2009Lindy Leein Tempting God, China Art Projects, Beijing, Stellar Downer Gallery, Sydney
• 2009Sidney Nolan: A magnificent obsessionMaroondah Art Gallery
• 2009Strathbogies {North-east Victoria}James Makin Gallery
• 2008An artist takes the tour: Anna Caione in ItalyGallery 101, Melbourne
• 2008Bronwyn Thompson and the psychoanalytic imaginationUber Gallery, Melbourne
• 2008Chris DelprattMaroondah Art Gallery
• 2008Drawing the line: Perspectives in contemporary Australian abstraction Maroondah Art GalleryMelbourne
• 2008Geoff DyerGuangdong Museum, Guangdong, China
• 2008Huang Xu Fragments / Cultural LandscapesChina Art Projects, Beijing, 2008, Arc One Gallery, Melbourne, 2008, October Gallery, London, 2009
• 2008Kate AndersonChina Art Projects, Beijing
• 2008Sara Lindsay: Serendip: Tapestry and Works on Paper 1992 – 2006Ararat Regional Art Gallery, Carnegie Gallery, Hobart
• 2007Carolyn Goldberg: Journeys to knowingMaroondah Art Gallery
• 2007Confinis, Counihan GalleryBrunswick
• 2007Gary Willis: Melbourne Moderne & Sam Fisher: The Emperor’s New Border ProtectionMaroondah Art Gallery
• 2007Heading North: Contemporary Asian Artists in AustraliaMaroondah Art Gallery, Melbourne
• 2007Martin King: South Georgia IslandJames Makin Gallery, Melbourne
• 2007Paolo ConsortiUber Gallery
• 2007Process / JourneyRed Gate Gallery, Beijing, China, October
• 2006Chandraguptha Thenuwara: An artist in the age of warin Craft Culture: World: dialogues between cultures through craft, Craft Victoria, Melbourne, February
• 2006South Georgia Islandin Hilary, P., & Smith D., South Georgia {sub Antarctica}, MARS Gallery, Melbourne, July, August 2006, Dickerson Gallery, Sydney, November – December 2006, Amelia Johnson Contemporary, Hong Kong, 2007
• 2005Gan Guan: Observing the sensesCounihan Gallery, Brunswick
• 2004In search of a perfect ceramicin Smith D Sidney Myer Fund International Ceramics Award in association with La Trobe University, Shepparton Art Gallery
• 2004Petrus Spronk: Meditations on a Korean OdysseyShepparton Art Gallery, 20 May – 20 June
• 2004Via Vai: Comings and GoingsCounihan Gallery, Brunswick
• 2003Karen Casey: Casting Shadows / Drawing LightArc One at Span Galleries, Melbourne
• 2003Martin King: First RainSpan Galleries, Melbourne
• 2002Digital GhostsMass Gallery, Melbourne
• 2002Karen Casey: RippleSpan Galleries, Melbourne
• 2002Tony Scott: Crossing the Bo Hai GulfCharles Nodrum Gallery, Melbourne
• 2001Tom Fantl: Searches Experiences Statements TimeSpan Galleries, Melbourne
• 2000Karen Casey: RadiantSpan Galleries, Melbourne

Periodicals2002 – 2018 · 13

• 2018Mexico: A love I can never quite shakeGarland Magazine, Melbourne, https://garlandmag.com/article/mexico-a-love-i-can-never-quite-shake/
• 2016Member of renowned artistic dynasty became determined guardian of Sidney Nolan’s Legacy19 April 2016, The Age, Melbourne
• 2011Kris Coad’s journey…World Sculpture News, Hong Kong
• 2011Pressing Issues – 2011 Castlemaine Visual Arts BiennaleIMPRINT Magazine
• 2010Martin King: A man for all seasonsImprint, the quarterly journal of the Print Council of Australia Inc., pp36-37, Volume 45, No.2, Winter
• 2009Huang XuPhotofile Magazine, December 2008 – March 2009
• 2009Smoke gets in my eyes: Gothic capitulation in the work of Samantha Small, Pat Foster & Jen BereanPhotofile Magazine, Melbourne
• 2008Jill Orr: Under the Southern CrossTrouble Magazine, April
• 2006Peter Townsend. A view from the barArt Monthly Australia, Canberra, Issue 193, September
• 2005Sophisticated Borrowings, (Margaret Preston)Australian Review of Books, Melbourne, March
• 2004Shepparton shows off ceramics50s Lifestyle, Issue No 8, Spring
• 2004For ceramics, think SheppartonCoast & Country, Autumn Winter pp66-69
• 2002Digital GhostsImprint, The Quarterly Journal of the Print Council of Australia Inc., Melbourne, March

Edited volumes

The Geoff Raby Collection of Contemporary Chinese Art. First published in 2018 by Words For Art, Beijing. Second edition published in 2018 Western Sydney University. Third edition published by La Trobe University Press (LTUP) a joint imprint of Black Inc.