Trinity Western University’s Department of Art and Design is pleased to present Cody Smith’s new exhibition Between Tool and Material, on display at the SAMC gallery from Nov. 7 to Dec. 16. Through the use of reclaimed materials, the paintings presented in this exhibition explore the unseen labour of industrial and construction workers and the memories contained in ordinary materials.
Sourcing his materials directly from the built environment, Smith challenges traditional painting conventions by incorporating building materials such as plywood, steel, and concrete into his work. Over the past several years, Smith has continued to refine his processes, creating paintings that are increasingly complex and use a greater variety of materials. His process serves as both an excavation and an act of reverence, a way of examining his own personal history while reflecting on the broader narrative of human labour and our relationship to materials.
Through his paintings, Smith highlights evidence of human touch and labour preserved in the building materials he gathers from construction sites. From a faded factory stamp or fragment of handwriting to the curved gesture of a discarded off-cut, he combines these traces into complex paintings brimming with movement. In a world that is increasingly dominated by technologies that drown out or seek to erase human labour, Smith’s work presents evidence of this seemingly invisible labour, and the individuals behind them, to be seen and valued.
The title of the exhibition references how Smith sees his role as the artist as mediating between tool and material. Of this role, he says, “I feel like I’m the guy at the bar splitting up the fight.” The works contain this sense of struggle but also a sense of play. As a dad of four, it is not surprising that his paintings have started to resemble the playful shapes of building blocks, an influence that he embraces in this work.
Smith holds a BFA from OCAD University and an MFA from Emily Carr University of Art and Design. While he draws deeply on historical art influences, his painting practice is equally informed by his experiences working in the trades as a carpenter and construction site supervisor. More recently, he has turned his attention to painting full time while caring for his four young children.
Between Tool and Material runs from Nov. 7 to Dec. 16 at the SAMC Gallery on Trinity Western University’s Langley campus. Exhibition and events are free and open to the public.
Opening Reception + Artist Talk: Thursday, Nov. 26, 7–8:30 p.m.
Art Coffee Break: Tuesday, Dec. 1, 11:30 a.m. –12 p.m.
Exhibition Opening hours:
Monday – Thursday 7:45 a.m.–11 p.m.
Friday 7:45 a.m. –6 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. –6 p.m.
Sunday 1:30–5 p.m.
Holiday hours available here.
About the artist
Cody Smith (b. 1987, St. Catharines, ON) is a visual artist whose practice is deeply informed by his history within the Canadian construction industry. He holds a BFA from OCAD University (2010) and an MFA from Emily Carr University of Art and Design (2023). Drawing directly from the built environment, Smith challenges traditional painting conventions by incorporating industrial materials such as plywood, steel, and concrete into his work. His process serves as both an excavation and an act of reverence, a way of examining his own personal history while reflecting on the broader narrative of human labor and our relationship to materials.
About the SAMC Gallery
The SAMC gallery was founded in 2017 and is the main exhibition space for the Department of Art and Design at Trinity Western University’s School of the Arts, Media, and Culture. It hosts exhibitions of two to three professional artists and designers per year as well as two student exhibitions. The gallery is an important pedagogical space for the Department of Art and Design, exposing students to diverse professional art practices while also serving the wider campus community and the Langley public. The gallery is located in the Norma Marion Alloway Library, directly adjacent to the Learning Commons, positioning it as an important learning space for the entire campus community.
Media contact
Alysha Creighton, SAMC Gallery Coordinator
alysha.creighton@twu.ca
604.440.5236
Exhibitions Webpage: twu.ca/samc-gallery
Social Media: @samc.at.twu
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is a global Christian liberal arts university dedicated to equipping students for life. Uniting faith and reason through Christian teaching and scholarship, TWU is a research institution offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in the humanities and sciences as well as in several professional schools. TWU has its main campus in Langley, B.C. and campus sites in Richmond, B.C. and Ottawa, Ont.
Learn more at twu.ca or follow @TrinityWestern on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. For media inquiries, please contact media@twu.ca.