Hughie Lee-Smith

Leslie King-Hammond

Painter Hughie Lee-Smith (1915-1999) sought to transform his experiences growing up as an African American during the Great Depression into meditations on the human condition. In each of Lee-Smith's enigmatic compositions, barren landscapes, lone figures, and contrasting juxtapositions elicit many questions that lead the viewer to self-reflection. Active in the art scenes of Cleveland, Detroit, and Chicago, he found inspiration in the New Negro Movement-Harlem Renaissance and nurtured his artistic talents early by participating in the Works Progress Administration/Federal Art Project. While he objected to strict definitions of "black art", his personal struggles with race identity, social justice, and alienation became recurring themes in his paintings throughout his career. Includes historical family photographs, excerpts from Lee-Smith's own writings and a chronology.