Tygar Miles Smith (b. 1999) is a conceptual visual artist born and based in London. He studied at Camberwell College of Arts Foundation before graduating with a BA in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins in 2023.
The foundation of his practice is rooted in the ambition to create a lifelong work reconstructing Ladybird Books. Sentimental through teaching Smith how to read as a child this ongoing work began in 2019 and is held together through two self-imposed rules: ‘a page a day’ and ‘first thought – best thought.’ These reconstructions explore text, imagery, collage, along with themes of authorship, ownership and identity. They half act as sketchbooks in being the studies for future works whilst also existing as works themselves through a whole book or an individual page. Smith re-contextualises these abandoned books into artworks of daily life, that focus not on the necessity to be ‘good’, but on the necessity to be ‘done’. Extending from this endeavour is his investigation into conceptual visual works; a methodical practice concreted in the fascination of past and present ephemera. These works are analytical, heavily theorised and strive towards confronting the definitions painting is held too. They explore themes of memory, objects, minimalism, contradiction and the desire to understand what is and is not ‘tangible’. His practice exists through meticulous conceptual processes, underpinned by confident, bold decision-making.
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Group Shows
Vacuum
May 2021
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Relax
July 2021
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Slacker + Friends
October 2021
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Live at Livesey
June 2022
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Permanent Temporary
September 2022
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Screen As
June 2023
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Heart Tour
September 2023
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Nice Trash
September 2023
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Momentary Bond
October 2023
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Rapid, Rigid
January 2024
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Look If You Want
May 2024
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POLLYFILLA
February 2025
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Post / Future (Saatchi Gallery)
​March 2025
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Momentum (Galleria Objects)
July 2025
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Artists in Resonance
July 2025
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Solo Shows
Redacted
March 2022
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Thank You Very Much Ladybird
May 2023
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Refitted (Paris)
October 2024