Bay Area Artist's Vibrant Portraits Capture the Diversity of Human Experience

By Karla Lopes 

Each Saturday in March, visitors are drawn to the gallery to gaze at Leslie Plato Smith's vivid portraits. The exhibition opened on March 6, where the bold and vibrant pieces caught the attention of those passing through. 

Smith, who worked for 30 years as City College's Associate Vice-Chancellor of Governmental Relations, is also a lifelong artist and activist. 

Influenced by her parents, Smith shared that her mother, Lee Plato Smith – a prominent Bay Area artist –  had a key role in guiding her creative journey. A long-time clay artist, Smith embraces a different medium in this exhibition, the watercolor. 

In "Who am I?” Smith channels both her creative freedom and enduring fascination with the human condition.

The project features a series of diverse portraits rendered in vibrant colors, painted with watercolor. “I am Concern” was the piece that gave birth to the series, and it dates back to 2020-2021, the COVID-19 years. 

All 15 portraits carry distinct story and compositions that together represent the diverse range of the human experience. One in particular, "Seriously? What's happening?” can be considered as a self-portrait. “I think that's me,” Smith shared when asked about it. 

The portrait features the face of a woman with blond hair and big blue eyes. Using bold palette-knife marks and vibrant watercolors, Smith shapes the subject's face with deliberate asymmetry. The off-balance shapes of the mouth, nostrils, and eyes suggest a sense of discomposure, echoing the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Leslie's work is a breath of fresh air,” said Joseph Kowalczyk, artist and FM Gallery Director.  Kowalczyk highlighted the diverse and free form of each piece, understanding that the composition echoes the theme of the show – "Who am I?”

"These figures question their identity and try to gain a sense of self as they reach to understand the world around them,” Kowalczyk shared. 

He also believes that viewers, after having some time with each portrait, can see that the artist is having fun.

"The creative process seems flowing and playful,” Kowalczyk added. He understands that the work appears to have come from a place where mistakes don't exist, which gives a feeling of liberation, “a feeling that anything can happen and does, " he said.

Smith's creative approach is not only perceived in the diverse compositions of the pieces, but also in her unique and ingenious way of creating texture with watercolor. 

“I couldn't stop,” Smith said.  “I am a clay artist – primarily. I just had to get some texture in there,” she said. 

You can see these small textured details in some of the pieces, like in the body of a nudibranch fixed on the hair of a woman portrayed in the piece called “Stand Tall 4 all life.” 

"She is a marine biologist, and her favorite animal is the nudibranch,” Smith said. 

She could share the stories behind some portraits, noting how the small compositional details give context to the subjects. 

The use of objects and subjects of the natural world also highlights Smith's belief that our identities are deeply connected with the world around us, as seen in the piece “The World of We.”

“It's so exciting to see everyone's expression,” said Arianna Weisman, an Oakland resident. “I love the diversity represented,” she added.

"Who am I?” has been on display since March 6 and will be available to the public until next Saturday, March 28, from 1-5 p.m.