Cinque Smith: Resonance in Form

Through layered abstraction and grounded human form, Artist in Residence Cinque Smith explores what it means to be present - and unmistakably human - in a digital age.

Cinque Smith’s work begins with feeling.

Born and raised in Dayton, Ohio and now based in Chicago, Smith has spent more than a decade refining a visual language that blends abstract expression with moments of hyper realism. Working in acrylic, spray paint, India ink, and mixed media, he creates compositions that feel rhythmic, layered, and emotionally charged.

“My practice lives at the intersection of intimacy and imagination,” he shares. “I’m interested in pushing ideas forward while staying deeply human.”

That tension - forward-thinking yet grounded - defines his work. Each piece balances control and spontaneity, softness and strength, clarity and chaos.

Protection, grace, balance, and the human experience consistently surface in Smith’s work. Powerful portrayals of women, instinct-driven animals, and human figures emerge from textured, abstract environments. The figure becomes anchor. The surrounding movement becomes atmosphere.

Music plays a central role in his process. He translates sound into color and mark-making, building layers that feel alive. He describes seeking a “creative peak” - the moment when instinct and intention align.

“I’m asking how structure survives inside disorder,” he explains. “How softness and strength live together.”

Viewers often feel the energy before they analyze it. The work connects emotionally first, then invites a slower look.

From February through July, Smith’s work unfolds at The Emily Hotel as part of our Artist Residency program.

Unlike a traditional gallery, the hotel is ever-evolving - guests arriving and departing, conversations unfolding, light shifting hour by hour. That energy becomes part of the encounter.

“A hotel is constantly alive,” Smith says. “People carry their own stories and energy through it. That creates a more organic relationship with the work.”

Installed within one of the hotel’s most active passageways, the pieces are discovered naturally - in moments of transition, pause, and return. There is no prescribed path, only invitation. Hospitality, to Smith, means creating space where people feel welcome to engage without intimidation or barriers. It’s a philosophy that mirrors our own belief that art should feel accessible, lived-in, and seamlessly woven into everyday experience.

Smith’s residency anchors Proof of Life, The Emily Hotel’s 2026 art program exploring presence, memory, and what it means to be human in an increasingly digital world.

As technology accelerates and artificial intelligence reshapes how we create and consume, Proof of Life asks a simple question: What does it mean to be unmistakably human?

In Smith’s work, the answer feels embodied. The human figure is not decorative - it is evidence. Textured by memory, shaped by emotion, rooted in spirit. Every brushstroke becomes a mark of lived experience. Every layered surface suggests history.

The residency is on view through July, adding a sense of immediacy and intention to the encounter. These works exist here, now - in dialogue with the people moving through the space.

At The Emily, we believe art changes the way we look at the world - and at ourselves. Through Cinque Smith’s Resonance in Form, we’re reminded that while technology may simulate connection, nothing replaces presence.

To explore upcoming events and experiences connected to Proof of Life, visit theemilyhotel.com or follow along on Instagram.