“The works in this exhibition form a collective garden of objects that thoughtfully engage with the many lessons offered by our environment, while functioning as emblems of nature in their own right.”
“Intimate Observations,” curated by Charlinee Wichaidit, presents a thoughtful retrospective of Jan Smith’s diverse body of work, spanning nearly thirty years and encompassing jewelry, drawing, and printmaking. Jan Smith is an artist whose ever-evolving practice extends beyond jewelry into the realm of sculpture, deeply rooted in teachings from the natural world and created with a careful attention to detail that beckons viewers to stop and look closer. This exhibition succeeds in illustrating the evolution of Smith’s material techniques and highlighting the core tenets that span Smith’s career and continue to inform her creative practice.
Arguably the most defining feature of Smith’s work is the inspiration found in the natural world.
The earliest works in the exhibition, a series of mixed metal and enamel “quilts” from 1998-99, feature textured champlevé enamel brooches collaged with collections of plant matter, presented alongside one another in wooden display boxes. Nine Patch Quilt (1998), which received an award of merit at the 5th International Juried Enamel Exhibition in 2000, does not include raw plant matter like the other pieces in the series.
However, the abstract forms, earthy hues, and careful use of texture immediately transport the viewer to a lush garden teeming with life. Further, the hand-carved wooden display cases housing each piece evoke antique specimen cabinets historically used to house natural curiosities, positioning her enamel brooches as pieces of nature in their own right.
In the center of the exhibition sits a larger wood and glass vitrine, featuring four collections of works further exploring the diverse forms and textures found in nature. Smith’s “Botanical Series” was inspired by the Victorian language of flowers, while works like Enclosures I (2020) employ charred wood accents to reference the ongoing forest fires that devastate the land each year. A series of unique works from 2007 stray from Smith’s iconic enamel-centered fabrication; Transparence I, Lion’s Mane, and Accumulation feature paper-thin discs made of mylar, nylon, and acrylic strung on steel cables to create jewelry that moves with the delicacy of a jellyfish. The collections in this vitrine were no doubt carefully selected to illustrate the evolution of Smith’s technical abilities, as well as the breadth of references she finds in the world around her.
Smith’s new series, “Surfacing,” features fifteen brooches created specifically for this exhibition, using a range of enamel techniques that give each piece a distinct identity. This body of work was created after a prolonged period away from her studio, serving as a continuation of her 2016 series of brooches on display across the gallery. While the monochromatic, sanddollar-like forms of her earlier works follow similar conventions of her 2026 series, the detail, material experimentation, and colorwork clearly distinguish the two collections.
Though formally considered brooches, Smith envisions these pieces as amulets, instilling the objects with intention. Though amulets have been observed in countless cultures as objects of protection, they do not have a standard set of conventions; throughout history they have been mounted outside doorways, worn on the body, pinned to clothing, and attached to objects. In this exhibition, a few amulets hang from wire, with the majority affixed to circular wooden mounts inspired by detritus caught in the bubbling foam on the tideline. These works function as powerful objects of earthly protection, engaging with nature’s duality of strength and fragility through careful combinations of color, texture, and enamel techniques referencing botanicals found around Smith’s home on Salt Spring Island.
The works in this exhibition form a collective garden of objects that thoughtfully engage with the many lessons offered by our environment, while functioning as emblems of nature in their own right. The artworks in this retrospective present an intimate insight into Jan Smith’s artistic practice, and invite the viewer to slow down and take a closer look, a lesson that carries outside the gallery and into the bustling world around us.
Exhibition Review: Intimate Observations: A Retrospective of Jan Smith written by Alena Russell
