Born in Baltimore, Shinique Smith trained at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Today she lives in Brooklyn and works in a variety of artistic mediums, including painting, sculpture, collage, and video. The creative manner in which she incorporates materials--found, bought, and created--into bundled sculptures and three-dimensional installations is a hallmark of her art. While not a portrait in a traditional sense, each object resonates with personal significance or recalls something of the individual who owned it. Smith has found inspiration from a diverse range of sources. Japanese calligraphy and abstract expressionism have been important to her, although as a former member of a graffiti crew she has developed a body of work that owes much to the tradition of tagging public space. No Thief to Blame, Smith's installation for "RECOGNIZE!," was commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery and represents Smith's creative response to Nikki Giovanni's poem, "It's Not a Just Situation." See the online exhibition at: http://www.npg.si.edu/exhibit/recognize . Interview recorded February, 2008. Image info: No Thief to Blame / Shinique Smith, 2007-08 / Mixed media installation (fabric, cardboard, carpet, paper, ink, spray paint, used clothing, found objects, and collage)