The Jaka Project

@theotherjohnsmith
https://johnsmithfilms.com

Born in Walthamstow, east London in 1952, John Smith studied film at the Royal College of Art. He was inspired in his formative years by conceptual art and structural film, while also being fascinated by the immersive power of narrative and the spoken word. Renowned for their formal ingenuity, subversive wit and oblique storytelling, his films blur the perceived boundaries between documentary, fiction, representation and abstraction, playfully exploring and exposing the language of cinema. 

 Since 1972 Smith has made over sixty film, video and installation works that have been shown in museums, galleries and cinemas around the world and awarded major prizes at many international film festivals. His many solo exhibitions include Kunstmuseum Magdeburg (2022) Museum of Contemporary Art, Leipzig (2015); Centre d'Art Contemporain de Noisy-le-Sec, Paris (2014); Kestnergesellschaft, Hanover (2012); Turner Contemporary, Margate (2012) and Royal College of Art Galleries, London (2010).

 John Smith received a Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award for Artists in 2011, and in 2013 he was the winner of Film London’s Jarman Award. His work is held in the collections of Tate Gallery; Arts Council England; MoMA New York; Muzeum Sztuki, Lodz; Kunstmuseum Magdeburg; FRAC Île de France; Wolverhampton Art Gallery and Ferens Art Gallery, Hull.