About
Megan Smith is an interdisciplinary artist. She has an interest in sculpture, installation, design, fibers and printmaking. She is currently based in Bloomington, IN, and is a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture, + Design of Indiana University. She completed her BFA at Tyler School of Art and Architecture in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and her MFA at the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture, + Design in Bloomington, IN. Her work has most recently been displayed in exhibitions at the Grunwald Gallery (Bloomington, IN), Backspace Gallery (Bloomington, IN) and Indianapolis Art Center (Indianapolis, IN). Her work has also been recently included in the Effemera Zine Magazine and in the 28th edition of the CANVAS Creative Arts Magazine.
Artist Statement
Worldbuilding has been a big part of my life since childhood. It is personal and complex. Regarding my work, I am considering worldbuilding as the intentional process of making and developing a new world or space. I am using it to transport my viewers and I to a certain time and place that is grounded and established through play. Over time I have built my own world, my personal utopian cosmos that speaks to my personal experiences and upbringing. Using immersions to activate viewers’ senses, I depict a theatrical, surreal world where everything is bright, shiny and untarnished. Every aspect is materialized so that you can only see through rose-colored glasses. It is a place that I consider to be ideal and that restores innocence and curiosity. It is a safe space to pause and an investigation of optimism. It is dreamlike, colorful, lively, and delicious. I am actively using worldbuilding as a key to unlock nostalgia, participation, and a nourishing escape.