“Michael Smither was made a CNZM in 2004 for his services to art. It is important to acknowledge and celebrate the work and achievement of this New Zealand artist who shows us so much of where we come from and of what shapes us.”
– Rt Hon Helen Clark, former Prime Minister & Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage
Beyond their technical precision, Smither’s works carry a conceptual depth that reflects his interest in perception and memory. His depictions of domestic life speak to broader themes of familiarity and human connection, while his landscapes hold a sense of reverence for place, shaped by personal experience and environmental awareness. This duality—between the personal and the universal, the everyday and the iconic—imbues his work with a quiet but enduring resonance.
Growing up in Taranaki, Smither developed a deep connection to the region’s landscapes, particularly Mount Taranaki and the coastline, which frequently appear in his work. Alongside these natural elements, his depictions of family life and familiar objects convey a sense of intimacy and universality. Works such as The Family in the Van and Rocks with Mountain, the latter held in the Auckland Art Gallery’s collection, exemplify his ability to find significance in the everyday. ‘The Family in the Van’, originally sold for $300, later fetched $200,000 at auction in 2012, reflecting the lasting appeal of his work.
While Smither’s paintings have been central to his career, printmaking has also become a significant part of his practice. His work in printmaking, particularly screen printing, began in the 1960s in collaboration with his father, Bill Smither. At a time when screen printing was not widely recognised as a fine art medium in New Zealand, their efforts helped establish its artistic legitimacy. After a hiatus following his father’s passing in 1985, Smither returned to printmaking, producing a series of limited edition screen prints that have been well regarded.
Smither’s printmaking practice is marked by its diversity, ranging from highly detailed representational works to bold explorations of colour block, abstraction, and line drawing. His abstract compositions distil forms into their essential structures, creating dynamic visual rhythms, while his linear works emphasise gesture and movement with an economy of mark-making. These prints often retain the same clarity and precision found in his paintings but explore a more distilled visual language, reinforcing his ongoing engagement with perception and form.
His work is held in major public collections, including the Auckland Art Gallery, the Christchurch Art Gallery, and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
Parnell Gallery has represented Michael Smither for his limited edition screen prints since 2008, continuing to share his work with a wider audience.
