Peter Smith’s Who are you? is a captivating exploration of whimsy and imagination, showcasing the artist’s signature blend of bold aesthetics and narrative charm. Against a subtly textured grey backdrop, a large, candy-striped creature balances a tiny zebra on its head — a playful pairing that sparks curiosity and wonder. The creature’s inquisitive gaze invites viewers into an open-ended story, full of warmth and gentle humour.
The vivid red and white stripes contrast strikingly with the zebra’s monochrome pattern, heightening the sense of surreal delight. Smooth curves and the interplay of light and shadow add depth and a soft, three-dimensional quality, drawing the viewer in. Known for combining anthropomorphism with surrealism, Smith’s distinctive style brings both character and charm to this engaging piece.
Whether as a conversation starter or a whimsical focal point, Who are you? is a delightful example of Smith’s imaginative world-building and artistic flair.
| Medium: | Oil |
| Format: | Canvas |
| Size (Unframed): | 61 x 122 cm |
| Size (Framed): | 61 x 122 cm |
| Signed: | Yes |
Peter Smith has established himself as one of the UK’s leading naïve artists, with a large back catalogue of limited editions spanning (initially) paper and canvas editions, sculptures and of course original paintings. His editions remain highly collectable & sort after.
As of 2024, his story based naïve artwork have been in constant publication since 2005! which is no small achievement in the fast moving UK art market.
His ‘Impossimals’ (created by himself & his wife Jayne Smith) characters are comedic and zany interpretations of people & their habits, I see them as cartoon-like ‘hippo’ characters, and they seem to get up to all sorts of mischief over the years including: drinking, eating chocolate & ice-cream, making cakes and baking!
Over time, Peter has also experimented with other collectables including keyrings, cufflinks, compact mirrors, paper weights and best selling calendars which I believe he publishes himself for his fans. However, it is without doubt his hilarious limited edition sculptures, often accompany artwork of the same name, that have sold equally as well as his prints. As of 2024 Peter has released at least 25 sculptures editions.
Peter is versatile and has turned his award winning style to other subject matters. In 2015 he released ‘Peter Smith – The Lost Alice Collection’, in celebration of the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carol’s ’Alice In Wonderland’ series – characters that have captured the hearts of children and adults for generation – with 4 amazing sculptures and 6 wonderful canvas limited editions.
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