Faculty of Art
Drawing and Painting
Meet the Artist
River
Smith
Graphite Drawing
“Through graphite drawings, I explore how photography shapes the way we see and value everyday life, especially through the influence of staged imagery, flash photography, and nostalgic “vintage” aesthetics. My work focuses on emotions, mental health, and personal experiences with anxiety and depression, drawing inspiration from both the mundane and meaningful moments of daily life. Through intimate, relatable scenes—rooted in my experiences of living independently—I highlight the quiet, overlooked aspects of adulthood”
River is an emerging multidisciplinary artist based in Toronto, working primarily in graphite, charcoal, and photography. Their practice encompasses figuration, portraiture, and depictions of both natural and industrial landscapes. Rooted in themes of mental health, humanity, and the nuances of everyday life, River draws on personal experiences to create intimate and relatable work. By incorporating the visual language of vintage flash and Polaroid photography, they examine the relationship between constructed photographic aesthetics and lived reality. River has exhibited in Face Off (2024), Neighbourly (2025), and Colours Within (2025), with additional work featured in KBI Inspire Magazine
Graphite Acrylic Photography
2025, Colours Within
Neilson Park Creative Centre, Toronto, ON
2025, Neighbourly
Coles Art Market, Huntsville, ON
2024, Face Off
OCAD University, Toronto, ON
2018, Visual Arts
Terry Fox Public School
Celebrate the work of OCAD U’s class of 2025/2026!