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Tygar Miles Smith (b. 1999) is a conceptual visual artist born and based in London. He studied a Foundation Diploma at Camberwell College of Arts before graduating with a BA in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins in 2023. At the core of Smith’s practice is an ongoing project reconstructing Ladybird Books, which began in 2019. Originally significant to him as the books through which he learned to read as a child, the series is guided by two self-imposed rules: “a page a day” and “first thought – best thought.” Through collage, text, image and drawing, Smith reworks these abandoned books into artworks that explore themes of authorship, ownership and identity. Operating simultaneously as daily sketchbooks and finished works, the pages embrace experimentation, humour and the acceptance of failure, prioritising the necessity of making over the pressure to be “good.”
Extending from this endeavour, Smith’s broader practice investigates conceptual visual strategies through collage, hand-bound books, screen printing, text and painting. Drawing on found imagery, personal memory and cultural ephemera, his works balance analytical thinking with playful irreverence, often questioning the conventions and definitions traditionally attached to painting and other artistic mediums.Smith has exhibited widely across London and internationally, with solo exhibitions including Refitted (Paris, 2024), Thank You Very Much Ladybird (2023), and Redacted (2022). His work is held in collections including Selfridges and Central Saint Martins, as well as private collections across Europe, the United States and the UK.