Rachel Suzanne Smith is an artist, metalsmith, and educator. She makes art, works as Fabrication Lab Supervisor at Oberlin College, and teaches part time at Kent State University. She received her undergraduate degree at Miami University in Art Education with minors in 3D Media Studies (jewelry/metals) and Spanish. She received her MFA in Crafts (Jewelry Metals Enameling) at Kent State University.
Rachel Suzanne Smith’s work reflects themes of identity and ornament, focusing on the biophilia hypothesis and the human desire to connect with the outdoors and nature. The facilitation of that need occurs through the use of adornment, allowing the wearer to surround themselves in arrangements and clusters of plants, created via the artist’s photographs and sketches.
Rachel Suzanne Smith’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. She was a finalist in the 2017 Friedrich Becker Prize and exhibited the work in the Finalist Exhibitions in the Stadtmuseum Düsseldorf and the Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus Hanau. She was a 2016 Niche Award winner in the category of Sculpture to Wear. Also active in the Ohio art scene, Rachel has received the Fresh Air award at the Akron Summit Art Space, the award for Excellence in Metals at the Ohio Craft Museum “Best of” exhibition, and is a 2019 recipient of an Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award.
