I am a public artist using realism and shifting perspective to create cinematic stories that explore perception. My murals feature larger-than-life characters in extreme perspectives, incorporating recognizable city structures into warped, kaleidoscopic landscapes. I have created many works for public spaces, including a mural for a new football stadium for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2023), and a freeway underpass mural for the Clean California project (2023). My work has shown in solo exhibitions at TEDx Conferences, galleries and museums; and has been featured in many media outlets, including Juxtapoz, Artillery, American Art Collector, NBC, and KCRW, and a new book in print “More Disruption” by John Seed.
Selected Public Work
2026 The Great Mall Mural, Milpitas, CA
2025 Sprinker Skate Park Mural, Tacoma, WA
Ft. Lauderdale Lifeguard Towers, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Mount Sequoyah Overlook Mural, Fayetteville, AK
2024 West Hollywood City Hall Mural, West Hollywood, CA
Mural Festival, Canton, OH
2023 NFL Mural for Jacksonville Jaguars- TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, FL
UnderPassage Way- CalTrans Clean California Project, Salinas, CA
Ferrucci Jr. High Mural, Puyallup, WA
Women of the Future Mural, Redwood City, CA
2022 Passageway, Nelson, BC, Canada
Whitney Community Center Mural, Las Vegas, NV
Ripple Effect, Laguna Beach, CA
2021 Apparatus- Wilmington Municipal Building Mural, Wilmington, CA
Nation Bus Company Mural, Detroit, MI
2020 Sugar Hill Mural, Kinston, NC
Upside Downtown Toledo, Toledo, OH
Moulton Ranch Center Mural, Laguna Hills, CA
Beach Scene II, Pompano Beach, FL
2019 Beatnik Alley, Hermosa Beach, CA
Beach Scene I, Laguna Beach, CA
2018 Bassline Street Wear Mural, Downtown Asahikawa, Hokkaido, JAPAN
Revised Maps of the Present (Installation), Los Angeles, CA
Revised Maps of the Present (Installation), Lancaster, CA
Momentum, Laguna Beach, CA
Glimpse, Laguna Beach, CA
2017 Wheeler Park Mural, Claremont, CA
Upside Downtown Laguna Beach, Laguna Beach, CA
Art Supply Warehouse, Westminster, CA
2013 Public Art Project, Silverlake Arts and Culture Committee, CA
2012 Art Director and Muralist, Silverlake Arts and Culture Committee, CA
2011 Curry Restaurant and Tropical Café, Downtown Asahikawa, Hokkaido, JAPAN
2010 Circus of Books Silverlake, Los Angeles, CA
Big Art Lab Studios, Los Angeles, CA
Awards
2024 National Mural Awards – National Silver
National Mural Awards – Regional Gold
2023 Proclamation, Caltrans Clean California Beautification Mural Project, County of Monterey, CA
2022 Artist of the Year Nomination, Collector’s Choice, Laguna Beach, CA
2021 Certificate of Congressional Recognition, 44th Congressional District
Certificate of Recognition, State of California SENATE
Certificate of Recognition, California Legislature Assembly
Certificate of Appreciation, City of Los Angeles
Commendation, County of Los Angeles
2019 Muralist Recognition, Hermosa Beach Murals Project, Hermosa Beach, CA
2018 Artist Recognition, City of Fontana and Community Services Department, CA
2017 Muralist Achievement Awards, Laguna College of Art and Design, CA
2016 Artistic Achievement Award, Collector’s Choice, Laguna Beach, CA
Selected Solo Shows
2024 More Disruption, (Featured Artist), Oceanside Museum of Art, Oceanside, CA
2020 Timothy Robert Smith showcase, The Hive Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2019 LA Art Show, FORM Magazine Presents: Timothy Robert Smith, Los Angeles, CA
2018 Revised Maps of the Present (Multi-media installation), A+D Museum, Los Angeles, CA
Revised Maps of the Present, Museum of Art and History, Lancaster, CA
Artist Showcase, City Hall, Fontana, CA
2017 TEDx Conferences, CSU Los Angeles, CA and CSU Long Beach, CA
2014-2015 Multi-Dimensionalism I and II, Copro Gallery, Bergamot Station, Santa Monica, CA
Selected Group Shows
2025 When Worlds Collide, Lucky Cat Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Made in California, Brea Gallery, Brea, CA
Push Play, Lucky Cat Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2024 15th Annual Art of Painting in the 21st Century Exhibition, Natsoulas Gallery, Davis, CA
More Disruption, Principal Gallery, Alexandria, VA
2023 Airport Case Display, Moulton Museum (Mural Photo), John Wayne Airport, Santa Ana, CA
2021 Disrupted Realism, Principal Gallery, Alexandria, VA
The Persistence of Memory: Salvador Dali and His Influence, Muckenthaler Cultural Center, Fullerton, CA
2019 Architexure, Coagula Curatorial, Los Angeles, CA
Go Wild!, Gormleys Fine Art, Dublin, IRL
Inside OUT: Outside In, RJD Gallery, Bridgehampton, NY
2018 Movement + Narrative, Ayzenberg Space Gallery, Pasadena, CA
2017 KAABOO Art Exhibition, Sugar Press Gallery, Del Mar, CA
Surreal Salon, Baton Rouge Gallery, Baton Rouge, LA
2015 The Collection, Gregorio Escalante Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Immortality and Vulnerability, Zhou B Art Center, Chicago, IL
2014 Western Twilight, Coagula Curatorial, Los Angeles, CA
2013 Futurology, Copro Gallery, Bergamot Station, Santa Monica, CA
MANA, Garbousian Gallery, Beverly Hills, CA
2012 Lab Art Presents, The Mondrian Hotel, West Hollywood, CA
Illustrations
2019 Map of Los Angeles- Cover and Insert Poster Artist
:FORM Magazine, Jan/Feb.
2018 Strathmore Cover Artist for Oil Paint Paper Pad
International Distribution
Art Director/Curator:
2024 More Disruption, Curated by John Seed, Aleah Chapin and Timothy R Smith
Oceanside Museum of Art, Oceanside, CA
2016 South Pasadena Mural Project
South Pasadena Arts Council, CA
Mural Director and Arts Educator,
Self Help Graphics and California State University of Los Angeles, CA
2012 Public Mural Project,
Silverlake Neighborhood Council Arts and Culture Committee, CA
Selected Bibliography
2025 Mount Sequoyah Unveiled and Opened ‘The Overlook’to the public on May 22.
Staggs, Dustin. NWA Democrat Gazette, May.
2024 Artist Timothy Robert Smith Unveils Vibrant New Mural at WeHo City Hall. Pingel, Mike. WeHo Times, Oct.
Canton Mural Fest. Schrader, Abbie. Fox 8 News Cleveland, Sept.
Reality Disrupted. Gianelli, Sarah. American Art Collector, Feb.
2023 More Disruption: Representational Art in Flux. Seed, John. Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. Print.
New Murals on Display Under Highway 101. Ow, Derrick. KION Channel 46, July.
Murales En Salinas. Santos, Sandra. T23 Telemundo, July.
Clean California Murals highlight Salinas Community Culture. Salinas Valley Tribune, Oct.
Cultural Council, Jaguars announce artists selected for Miller Electric Center. Jacksonville Daily Record, March.
2022 Timothy Robert Smith’s ‘Ripple Effect’ Invites Differing Perspectives. The Daily Pilot, LA Times, March.
A Reality-Bending Tour Inside the Surrealistic Mind of Muralist Timothy Robert Smith.Stone, Marrie. Stu News Laguna, March.
Community Celebrates New Mural in Laguna Beach. City of Laguna Beach News, March.
Wilmington Municipal Building ‘Apparatus’ Mural. LA CityView, Ch. 35, Jan.
2021 Toledo’s Hidden Gems: Artwork Hidden in Plain Sight. Strock, Jenson and Tarpley, Tiffany, WTOL 11 Toledo, May.
A Private Viewing of Salvador Dali works and contemporary art opens in Fullerton. The Daily Pilot, LA Times, March.
2020 Momentum Murals Brighten Up Downtown. ConnecToledo News, Oct.
2019 TR Smith’s ‘Beatnik Alley’ unveiled in Hermosa Beach. The Beach Reporter, Oct.
Mural Artist to Show Multiple Perspectives. McDonald, Ryan. Easy Reader, Aug.
5 Design Things To Do This Week. Bruckner, Karen. KCRW, Feb.
2018 Mural gains ‘Momentum’ at LB High School. Andrade, Miranda. LA Times, Aug.
Lancaster MOAH: Forest For the Trees. Harcourt, Glenn. Artillery Magazine, Jul.
Revised Maps of the Present: T.R. Smith @ Lancaster MOAH. Juxtapoz, May.
Artistic Vision: Upside Downtown Laguna Beach. Neal, Brandi. OC Register, Mar.
2016 Project Transforms Utility Boxes Into Art. Lopez, Lolita. NBC Los Angeles, Apr.
2015 T.R. Smith: The Influence of the Incidental. Escalante, Greg. Juxtapoz, Sept.
Gallerist and Collector Greg Escalante Opens New Space in LA. Hi-Fructose, Sept.
Illusive Perspective: An Interview with T.R. Smith. Senn, Evan. Yay!LA, Nov.
Beauty and the Brain. Hess, F. Scott. The Huffington Post, Sept. (illus.)
2014 Sound and Vision Art Show at Sound City. Juxtapoz, Oct.
Art Show at the Legendary Sound City. Toy, Yuki. The Huffington Post Japan, Oct.
T.R. Smith: Kaleidoscopic Realism. Seed, John. The Huffington Post, Apr.
Corpo Gallery Exhibition Preview. Juxtapoz, Apr.
The New Wave in the LA Art Scene: T.R.Smith. Japala Magazine (Japan), Apr.
2013 10 Most Memorable Paintings From 2013. Seed, John. The Huffington Post, Dec.
Futurology Group Show at Copro Gallery. Hi-Fructose, Mar.
2012 Stay Up!: Los Angeles Street Art. Daichendt, G. James, and Lord Jim. Cameron + Company. Print. (illus.)
Education
2013 MFA Studio Art- Laguna College of Art and Design, CA
2006 BFA Studio Art – California State University of Los Angeles, CA
Teaching
2012-Present Laguna College of Art and Design- Mural Instructor