Canadian painter Vicki Smith became known for her paintings of female figures which explored the effects and limitations of gravity. Often suspended in dark air, twisted and upside down, falling into and out of the picture plane, the figures could be so precariously placed upon the canvas that they threatened to slip away. Even in these positions, they were always balanced.  

Recent years have seen Smith’s female figures explore the concept of gravity and identity in waterscapes. Her swimmers float, fly, dive and emerge on the broken surface of the water, first depicted in swimming pools, then in lakes; the water fills the composition edge-to-edge, becoming a space of weightlessness without boundaries. The paintings possess a beautiful, deep calm, the subjects entirely at peace in their surroundings.

Vicki Smith studied fine art at the Ontario College of Art, graduating in 1981 with honours. Her fourth year of study was completed in Florence, Italy. She lives and works in Toronto.