About Mark Antony Steelsmith

As an artist and animator working under the name Mark Antony Smith, I explore memory, mental health, and the interplay between imagination and reality. Based in Aotearoa New Zealand, my practice spans painting, animation, installation, and experimental performance—bringing personal and collective narratives to life in evocative visual forms.

Education and Artistic Journey

My creative journey began with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Whanganui Regional Community Polytechnic in 1999, where I focused on painting, animation, and video production. I went on to complete a Postgraduate Diploma in Computer Graphic Design (2000) and later a Master of Fine Arts at Massey University (2017). This foundation has helped shape a practice that blends traditional methods with digital and conceptual experimentation.

Over the years, my work has been exhibited widely, including Blackdog:failure (Toi Pōneke Gallery, 2015), Imperial Ghosts (LUX Light Festival, 2017), Invisible Prague (Prague Quadrennial, 2019), and Echoes of Tomorrow (Space Studio Gallery, 2023). In March 2025, I presented The AI Show at Meanwhile Gallery—an experiment in AI-led creativity and human resistance. That project has since evolved into Human Robot, a larger-scale live performance scheduled for September 2025.

Artistic Practice

My work balances spontaneity and craft. Animations often emerge organically—without storyboards or scripts—allowing narrative to evolve through play. Paintings, by contrast, are more physically grounded explorations of memory, architecture, and visual storytelling. I’m interested in how stories are made, forgotten, and re-assembled—especially through the lens of creative labour and technology.

Key Themes

Recurring concerns in my work include mental health, authorship, and how memory shapes identity. Projects like Blackdog:failure, The Lost Futures Exchange, and Invisible Prague invite audiences into speculative or fragmented narratives that mix humour, melancholy, and cultural reflection. My more recent work asks how automation and AI alter the labour of creativity—and what remains human in the process.

Commissions and Sales

Selected paintings are available for purchase, and I welcome commissions across painting, animation, and model-making. Please reach out via the Contact page if you’d like to discuss a project or request more information.