Espoo Museum of Modern Art revisits the extraordinary career of Howard Smith, whose experiments across art, design and material helped reshape Finland’s visual culture.
9 September 2026
With colour, form and an enduring curiosity for materials, Howard Smith created a visual language that moved effortlessly between the gallery, the city and the home. ‘Howard Smith: Retrospective 1965–2010’, now on view at EMMA (Espoo Museum of Modern Art), celebrates the remarkable career of an African American artist who became an influential figure in Finnish art and design.
Born in the United States in 1928, Smith arrived in Finland in the 1960s for what was intended to be a short visit. He stayed, developing a decades-long practice that encompassed ceramics, textiles, sculpture, collage, drawing and paper cutting, alongside collaborations with architects and works created for public spaces.
Smith’s influence also entered everyday Finnish life. His designs for textile company Vallila and ceramics manufacturer Arabia brought his distinctive patterns into homes across the country, blurring the line between fine art and functional design.
Spanning work from the 1960s to the 2000s, the retrospective considers Smith’s contribution to Finnish modernism while foregrounding the openness and experimentation that defined his practice. The exhibition also features commissioned works by contemporary artist Sasha Huber and fashion designer Ervin Latimer.
This exhibition is on view at EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art until 7 February 2027.
