Josh Smith’s cardinal artistic rule is that “it’s natural to suffer.” For the American artist, who burst onto the art scene in the early 2000s with a series of paintings of his own name, artistic friction is natural, and ease cannot be guaranteed or expected. Smith’s process is arduous, involving photography, digital collage, and finally the transference of his ideas onto canvas; he confesses to working long into the late hours of the night. More recently, he’s become something of a multi-hyphenate, pursuing a musical practice alongside his fine art career since the release of his self-titled debut album in August 2025.
Born in 1976 in Okinawa, Japan, to a military family, Smith was raised primarily in East Tennessee, and now lives in New York. Smith’s work inherits the tradition of expressive figurative Modernism, but remixes it through his own favored motifs, from palm trees to skeletons. His paintings are in the collections of museums including the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Broad in Los Angeles.
In Smith’s most recent series, titled Destiny, 2025, the Grim Reaper becomes his muse. The figure is somewhat farcically situated astride a bike, scythe in hand, in quintessential New York locations. Destiny is the centerpiece in an exhibition of Smith’s work that is on view through Dec. 11 at Galerie Eva Presenhuber in Zurich. To mark his eighth solo exhibition with the gallery, CULTURED connected with Smith to discuss his creative process, his hoarding habits, and his burgeoning music career.
What’s the first thing you do when you enter your studio?
I like to lie down for a while.
What’s on your studio playlist?
My own music because I’m trying to learn it and figure it out. Rap music because I love it.
What’s in your studio fridge?
Diet Cherry Dr Pepper.
If you could have a studio visit with one artist, dead or alive, who would it be?
Richard Prince.
What’s the weirdest tool you can’t live without?
My brain.
When do you do your best work?
Starting at 6 o’clock and then late into the night.
Who’s the first person you show something to?
Megan, my wife.
Do you work with any assistants or do you work alone?
I work with KT [Hickman]. We have worked together a long time; she’s my friend also.
What’s the biggest studio mishap you’ve experienced?
Sometimes the ceiling leaks, and it sucks.
There are a lot of costs that come with being an artist. Where do you splurge and where do you save?
Splurge on canvas and paint. To save, I reuse every container I can find, and I don’t buy the best brushes.
If you splurge on materials, what are your must-haves, and where do you get them?
I get stretchers from Soho Art Materials. They are lightweight and better for my back. They do a good job, and it’s in the neighborhood.
What was the last time you completely lost track of time while working?
I lose track of time when I’m happy and comfortable and working naturally, as opposed to trying to figure something out.
On a scale of hoarder to Marie Kondo, where do you fall?
I hoard art materials, but I’m getting better about other things. I would say probably a little bit above the middle, towards hoarding.
Is there a studio rule you live by?
It’s natural to suffer some. Not everything is easy.
When was the last time you felt jealous of another artist?
Never.
If you could change one thing about the art world, what would it be?
Less transactional.
If your studio were an animal, what would it be?
A cat.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done in your studio?
Start a music career.
What’s your studio uniform?
An apron and whatever clothes I’m wearing. I try to wear comfortable shoes that I can get a little dirty and can get a little paint on them.
Tell us about the best studio visit you’ve ever had:
The first studio visits I had were in New York. When I was young, and people came in and liked my work, it meant the world.
Any rituals to prepare for a studio visit?
I hide things.
What book changed the way you think about art?
Simulacra and Simulation by [Jean] Baudrillard.
Can you share a recent studio playlist?
I’ve been listening to variations of my upcoming album on repeat because I’m trying to figure it out. It’ll be out hopefully before the end of 2026.
If you had to choose, would you rather go to the studio drunk, high, or hungover?
High. Really high.
Weirdest studio visit experience?
An artist that I greatly admire came over drunk, and he was a complete asshole.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received from another artist?
“No risk, no reward.” – Christopher Wool
Have you ever stolen something from another artist’s studio?
Not yet.
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