Kambel Smith
(b. 1986)
BornAltus, Oklahoma, United States
ActivePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
BiographyUsing salvaged cardboard and found materials, Kambel Smith re-creates icons of architecture at often colossal scales and with incredible detail. His portrayal of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai—the tallest building in the world—has five interlocking pieces to raise it to a height of almost twenty-seven feet. He carefully constructs these architectural models over a period of months, and he mainly references images of the sites sourced online rather than using measuring tools for size and perspective. This approach gives the pieces a tactile, human quality. Many are landmarks from his hometown, Philadelphia, such as his Divine Lorraine Hotel held by the American Folk Art Museum. The late-nineteenth-century apartment building, meticulously depicted with its arched windows and Beaux-Arts details, is made of cardboard, foamboard, paint, and charcoal and illuminated with LED lights.Born in 1986 in Altus, Oklahoma, Smith grew up in Philadelphia. He was diagnosed with autism at a young age. Initially, his artistic interests involved drawing with colored pencils and painting landscapes and scenes of historical buildings. As canvases and oil paints were expensive, he shifted to using cardboard rescued from the trash to make three-dimensional models that featured his love for painting in their decorated forms. Working at the family home in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood, he made increasingly detailed models over the years as he expanded into non-architectural objects such as soda bottles. As he said of his work in 2019 to the Philadelphia Inquirer, “I just show who I am.”
Smith’s father, Lonnie, would frequently share his art at local community spaces such as libraries and senior centers. A neighbor noticed him working on his models in the front yard and brought his art to the attention of author and curator Chris Byrne, leading to a solo show in 2018 at the Elaine de Kooning House in East Hampton, New York, and the presentation of his work at the 2019 Outsider Art Fair. With his father and his brother, Kantai, he has also created the world of the Autisarians, which has evolved from a series of science-fiction comic books to a nonprofit focused on reframing the perception of autism as a superhuman ability.
Allison C. Meier, 2025
Text written as part of “Rethinking Biography,” an initiative supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).