Justine Smith

We The People of the Commonwealth

Justine Smith was born in Somerset. She moved to London to study at the City and Guilds of London Art School from 1990–93. She has always worked with paper as a primary medium and her current work is concerned with the concept of money and how it touches almost every aspect of our lives. “In my artistic practice, money is my primary material. The power invested in these pieces of paper is immense and for me, it is like working with an elemental force. In our capitalist world, money or the lack of it governs almost every aspect of our lives and my work seeks to explore money as a conduit of power and it’s capacity to impact upon us in a political, social and moral sense. On a physical level, a banknote is just a piece of paper, but it is what a banknote represents that is central to my work,” says Justine Smith. She has exhibited her work in galleries and museums internationally. Her notable collections include the British Council, The British Library and the UK Government Art Collection along with many international corporations, financial institutions and private collections. She lives and works in London.