Photo: Nina Subin / CC BY 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Born on January 18, 1954 in Nuremberg, Middle Franconia, Germany, Kiki Smith is a sculptor, painter and photographer. Kiki Smith is 72 years old as of 2026. Education on record includes Columbia High School. Listed accolades include Women's Caucus for Art Lifetime Achievement Award (2015) and Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Notable works include River Light; The Presence; The Spring; The Sound; The Water's Way.
My Take
Kiki Smith is an artist I find genuinely formidable. German-born in Nuremberg and American by life, she refuses to be boxed in, moving freely between sculpture, painting, photography, and illustration. From the late 1980s she confronted AIDS, feminism, sex, and regeneration head-on, and her recent work probes the human body's bond with nature, so across decades she has kept digging at the same root: what it means to be alive in a fragile body. Her Fellowship of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences is no mere decoration. I deeply respect artists who chase their own questions instead of the market's.
This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Kiki Smith
- Name (Japanese)
- キキ・スミス
- Reading
- きき・すみす
- Born
- January 18, 1954 (age 72)
- Origin
- Nuremberg, Middle Franconia, Germany
- Occupation
- sculptor / painter / photographer / illustrator / artist
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Horse
2. Background
- High school
- Columbia High School
Awards & achievements
- 2015 Women's Caucus for Art Lifetime Achievement Award
- Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
3. Works & records
Filmography / notable works
| Category | Title |
|---|---|
| Notable work | River Light; The Presence; The Spring; The Sound; The Water's Way |
4. Links
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiki%20Smith
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%AD%E3%82%AD%E3%83%BB%E3%82%B9%E3%83%9F%E3%82%B9
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q447300
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
Only publicly available facts are listed; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. Base data was compiled from Wikidata from June 2026 onward; ages are recalculated daily and deaths are checked against Wikidata on an ongoing basis. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Kiki Smith born?
Kiki Smith was born on January 18, 1954 and is 72 years old.
Where is Kiki Smith from?
Kiki Smith is from Nuremberg, Middle Franconia, Germany.
What does Kiki Smith do?
Kiki Smith works as sculptor, painter, photographer, illustrator, artist.
Which high school did Kiki Smith attend?
Kiki Smith attended Columbia High School.
What is Kiki Smith known for?
Kiki Smith's notable works include River Light; The Presence; The Spring; The Sound; The Water's Way.
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