Born in India in 1906, May Smith arrived in Auckland in 1921 and studied at the Elam School. In 1928 she went to London and continued her studies at the Royal College of Art. She worked as a fabric designer and exhibited with the London Group before returning to New Zealand in 1939. Here she continued painting, fabric designing and printing as well as teaching. She retired from teaching art at Epsom Girls' Grammar School in 1967, and settled in Coromandel where she continued to paint. Her painting style is usually semi-abstract and painted in richly decorative colours.
The total number of works by May Smith offered for sale by auction since 1991 is 74, of which 45 (61%) were sold. The highest price recorded for the artist is $3,182 for Wanganui Island (Triptych) sold by International Art Centre in September 2014. This year one work has been offered for sale. Works by May Smith are held by the Auckland Art Gallery.
May Smith is listed in the following standard biographical references:
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