During the lockdown, Danny produced a large quantity of collage work as well as an installation piece supported by Cait Sweeney. Oxfordshire ArtWeeks 2022 is playing host to this new collection of work as Danny joins the Old School Art Collective (Venue 17) for the first time, exhibiting alongside six other artists. The college collection is a bold celebration of colour, with figures and forms of different kinds emerging within their construction, creating a striking body of work.
As well as his new collage art, Danny will be gathering together a longer series of self-portrait work that he has been working on for some years. Danny's self portraits are reflections on his own identity capturing his sense of self at different periods of his recent life.
He also hopes to be showing his extensive digital art collection at this year's Oxfordshire ArtWeeks, technology allowing! This will include reels of his various video productions, showing his performance art and a documentary about his experience as someone with Downs Syndrome: 'The Ups of Downs'.
Danny Smith has interests in performance, photography, drawing, and painting. His artist intention is to show independence and demonstrate emotions associated with change and personal empowerment. Danny takes pride in being a role model for other disabled people, as a person with Downs Syndrome. His work has been exhibited within the UK and internationally. Danny is a member of Shadow Light Artists and Film Oxford. He is also a member of the Heart and Soul theatre company and has performed internationally as part of the drag assemble Drag Syndrome, as his alter-ego Gaia Callas. More here: https://www.dragsyndrome.com/artists
More recently, in December 2020, Danny's short film performance "Flashback" won Best Dance Film at the Together! 2020 Disability Film Festival. Originally developed as a studio-based production involving a small ensemble, it had to be adapted as a solo piece in the light of Covid restrictions. The dance for camera film explored memories in comparison to his current circumstances. In part, he wanted to explore some of his past experiences of being bullied as a result of having Downs Syndrome. Danny chose to collaborate with choreographer Anna Watkins to create the dance piece, alongside filmmaker Nicola Josse. Watch here: https://shadowlightartists.org.uk/portfolio/danny-smith/
Danny Smith was born in Wallingford in 1975 where he grew up, he now lives in Oxford.