Lionel Smit is best known for his contemporary portraits both on monumental canvases and in sculpture. Each of his works offer us an entry point into the variety and richness that lies beneath every face we encounter in life. Abstract lines and swathes of colour establish the grounds for a figure to emerge. 

In recent years, he has expanded his sculptural repertoire, creating bodies as well as faces. Smit uses intensely saturated patinas - Brilliant streaks of blue and green enrich the grooves of an ear, while the natural shadow of an eyelid is intensified by the deepening of rich black patinas. This style echos his paintings. The patination, focused enthusiasm for surface gradations and brushstroke-like quality of his sculptures showcases how he consistently pushes the envelope.

Smit's figures remain highly charged with the emotive and gestural energy of his creative process. His making remains adaptive, inventive, and physically engaging. Through this he has achieved success all over the world including sell-out exhibitions in London and Hong Kong. 

Lionel Smit has exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery in London where he received the Viewer’s Choice Award, and was selected as the 'face' of the BP Portrait Award 2013 for all campaigns. He was awarded the Ministerial Award from the Department of Culture for Visual Art. A highlight of his career was the publication of one of his paintings on the cover of Christie’s Auction Catalogue. In June 2016, Smit, in collaboration with Cynthia-Reeves Gallery, installed a public art installation, Morphous, in Union Square, New York.