Siana Smith is a visual artist whose work explores the complexities of consumerism, personal attachment, and environmental impact through depictions of daily objects and people. Drawing on her experiences as an immigrant who arrived in the United States in the early 1990s, Siana’s art reflects a unique perspective shaped by her upbringing in post-Cultural Revolution China and her immersion in American consumer culture. This duality plays a central role in her practice, infusing her paintings with symbols of transience and tension that invite viewers to look beyond the surface allure of objects and consider their more profound social and psychological contexts.
Before pursuing her true calling in art, Siana earned a master’s degree in computer science and worked as a software engineer. While raising her family, she rediscovered her passion for art, which led her to earn an MFA in Fine Art Painting from California College of the Arts, San Francisco, in 2021. She lives and works in the Bay Area, CA.
Siana’s work has been exhibited nationally at esteemed institutions, including the De Young Museum of San Francisco, the New York Academy of Art, the Triton Museum of Santa Clara, Southern Arkansas University, and various galleries. Through her art, Siana engages in conversations about consumer culture, identity, and the environment.