Matt Smart

Time Over Ash

Mixed media: fibreglass, Jesmonite, ciment fondu, bioresin, steel, pigments

195cm x 66cm x 75cm

“Time Over Ash” is a human-sized entity of metal and resins and the powders of stones. Its layers show the geological passage of time among solid waves of creation, and how the return to ash and dust is a conversion over deep time into other forms in the change of wind and memory.

As a sculptor, installation artist, and painter, Smart engages in a wide range of artistic endeavors. Their work graces the decor of regional arts festivals, music festivals, and private events known for their lively atmosphere and dancing. They also exhibit their pieces in galleries periodically.

Originally from England, Smart now resides near a forest in mid-France. In London, they co-founded and managed an art gallery dedicated to representing artists facing challenges in advocating for themselves, particularly those diagnosed with mental health conditions.

Smart's artistic expressions extend to their written works, which span various fields, including psychiatry and UK national technology investment. Additionally, they contribute as a magazine arts writer.

Professionally, Smart has managed research portfolios at the University of Oxford, covering diverse areas such as climate change, national energy strategies, satellite and space observation technologies, particle accelerators, plant taxonomy, integrated medicine, and community arts-based projects. The funds they managed typically amounted to around $6M equivalent per year. They have also served on national advisory panels assessing investment effectiveness in universities and regional skills development, including science parks, and participated in bio-ethics discussions.

In archaeology, Smart was part of a team that discovered the burial site of the missing Romanov royal heirs, Alexei and Maria Romanov, in a Russian forest. Contrary to popular myth, it was not Anastasia who was missing. This discovery was officially recognized in 2007.

Smart's diverse experiences include trading gold and silver on a city market between the ages of 8 and 10. In 2023, they founded a small collective focused on the cultural-ritual practice of art and performance, exploring communication through rituals and arts in ways reminiscent of traditional practices in various cultures, such as native North American peoples, Amazonian tribes, and Australian indigenous groups. These practices form the foundation of Smart's art and meaningful community engagement.