Howard Smith: Retrospective 1965–2010

EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art presents a retrospective of the work of US-born Howard Smith (1928–2021), featuring around 90 works. Known to many for his printed fabrics for Vallila and ceramics for Arabia, Smith worked across a wide range of media, including painting, collage, sculpture and paper cut-outs, as well as monumental public commissions.

The exhibition spans more than five decades of Smith’s career and explores his distinctive visual language, characterised by vivid colours, playful compositions, and recurring motifs such as faces, eyes and text. The retrospective also sheds light on the place of an African American artist within Finnish art and design history.

The exhibition also features new works commissioned from visual artist Sasha Huber and fashion designer Ervin Latimer, bringing Smith’s work and legacy into dialogue with contemporary art. Howard Smith: Retrospective 1965–2010 is on view at EMMA from 5 September 2026 to 7 February 2027.