Known for her tender, technically vigorous images of everyday Black life, artist Ming Smith has been on the forefront of photography for more than five decades. Arriving in New York in the early 1970s, Smith rose to prominence as a member of the Kamoinge Workshop, a collective of Black photographers founded to cultivate a critical artistic community centered on Black life. Smith developed a distinctively lyrical style, marked by blurred silhouettes, candid street scenes, and creative performances. Experimental in her techniques, Smith includes double-exposure, slow shutter speeds, paint, collage, and hand-tinting among her repertoire of photographic tools. Revealing magic in the mundane, Smith’s photography strikes a poetic balance between light and shadow. “I like catching the moment, catching the light, and the way it plays out,” Smith has reflected on her practice, “It’s about seeking energy, breath, and light. The image is always moving, even if you’re standing still.”

–From the Glenstone Field Guide