CHIESKA FORTUNE SMITH is an African-American/Japanese artist whose work is rooted in classical timelessness and stories. She is heavily influenced by old family photos and vintage found imagery from the early 20th century. After studying international studies and Japanese art history, Fortune Smith lived in Japan experimenting with street photography and recording close personal relationships between family and friends. She is now based in London.


ABOUT THE SERIES
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Even as a child, she could feel it; the sense of not having a firm grounding. With a Japanese mother and an African-American father, her upbringing was filled with layer upon layer of culture, ethnicity and identity. She has moved a lot, living in places as far apart as Maryland in the United States and Tokyo, and now in London, always in search of her own rhythm. These images reflect that sense of uncertainty, a way of finding focus in a reality that can seem quite blurred.