After coming across a beautiful large print of Irises at a thrift store, I found myself in a research rabbit hole about it’s origins. Turns out the piece - “Blue Iris” by Howard Smith was designed for a Finnish interiors called Vallila in 1978. Read on to learn more about Smith’s long and successful career across many mediums.

Howard Smith was born in Philadelphia in 1928, and from an early age, paper, pens, and scissors were his constant companions. As a child, a school field trip to the Philadelphia Museum of Art left him awestruck by Japanese and Chinese art — an experience that would shape his aesthetic sensibility for the rest of his life. After years of military service, he began studying at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 1960. But institutional racism cast a long shadow over his prospects at home.

A New Home in the North

Smith moved to Finland and quickly found community in Helsinki's art and design circles. What began as a two-week trip in 1962 turned into a lifetime. After socializing with many prominent figures, he began receiving commissions for his work.

Smith later reflected on what Finland made possible: "One surely interesting thing made possible by my being in Finland was the cooperation of industry, whereas in America we know that the Black artist has little, if any, possibility to work in a creative way with any industry. There, I was able to accomplish a good deal."

Designing for Vallila

One of Smith's most beloved contributions came through his work with the Finnish textile firm Vallila. Committed to making less expensive, more accessible work, Smith designed printed textiles for Vallila, many of which were exported back to the United States, becoming popular as home decorations with cheerful images of flowers, birds, and landscapes in bold patterns and bright colors. One of his most iconic pieces — a bold floral curtain pattern from the late 1960s named for South African singer Miriam Makeba — proved so popular that a version of it remains in production today.

A Mastery of Many Mediums

Smith's creative range was remarkable. A relentlessly creative artist, Smith worked in a wide variety of media, including drawing, painting, silkscreen, and textile and paper collage. His versatile work spanned nearly every medium — paper, wood, textiles, enamel, metal, ceramics, and glass — and included paintings, sculptures, prints, reliefs in paper, and appliqué. Beyond Vallila, he also designed tableware and interior items for Arabia, the esteemed ceramics factory in Helsinki.

A Legacy That Endures

Smith was awarded the Finnish State Design Prize in 2001, and his works can be found in major museum collections including the Ateneum Art Museum, the Museum of African-American Art in Los Angeles, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In his final years, glaucoma took his sight — but not his drive. Undaunted, he continued to work by sense of touch, until his death at his home in Fiskars, Finland on February 4, 2021, at the age of 92.

Howard Smith's story is one of resilience, reinvention, and extraordinary creative output — a reminder that sometimes the most fertile ground for an artist is found far from where they started. To see more of his work, check out the archive available on his website.

SOURCES:

Howardsmith
LACMA
Alta Online