Biography

Currently a resident of Chicago, Yvette Kaiser Smith was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia in 1958, and immigrated with family to Dallas, Texas in 1969. Her 1990 BFA from Southern Methodist University focused on sculpture and photography. Since receiving an MFA in Sculpture from University of Chicago in 1994, Yvette has exhibited extensively at regional museums, art centers, and university galleries throughout the United States. Exhibitions abroad include U.S. Embassies in Moscow, Ankara, and Abuja; National Art Museum of China in Beijing; alternative galleries in London, Rome, Berlin and Jena Germany. Recent solo exhibitions include Veliko Turnovo, Bulgaria with work created during ARV.International residency in Vishovgrad, Bulgaria; One River School of Art + Design, Ignition Project Space, Zhou B Art Center, and St. Xavier University, all in Chicago. In 2005 Yvette began working with art consulting firms, galleries, and individual clients to create site-specific commissions which include Facebook Chicago, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Eastman Chemical Company, and San Diego Manchester Hyatt. Grants include City of Chicago Individual Artist program Grant, Illinois Arts Council Artist’s Fellowship Award and Governor’s International Arts Exchange Grant.