Aly Lou Smith Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom

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Aly Smith is a working class artist with bi-polar and a few other mental health diagnosis thrown in depending which health care provider she sees. Her work often looks at the comedic side of her bi-polar whilst wanting to raise awareness of mental health and the struggles that herself and people have.

My artistic practice is heavily influenced by my bi-polar diagnosis. I work across a mix of disciplines, predominantly oil paintings and textile sculptures which focus on clowns and masks which contemplate the disguises of everyday life.

I have worked in film supporting young adults to produce a film as part of The Northern Stars project in conjunction with the Tyneside Cinema. This was a completely new direction and the first time I have spoken about my mental health in an honest public manner .This gave me an interest in film-making as an art form.

Pre lockdown I had a role as a Community Engagement Worker and artist in a local Community Centre, I was embedded in that community for 10 years and delivered workshops covering a variety of mediums for all ages and backgrounds so am comfortable developing and implementing art workshops. I also understand the barriers people face to participate in an art or cultural activity and am comfortable, challenging those obstacles and providing an inclusive, safe space for participants. I still work on a freelance basis with youth, refugee, unhoused and women's services in my community,

Recent artistic training involved a ‘Curious Arts’ session LGBTQI inclusivity.

My most recent exhibition was The Torn From Home exhibition,(funded by Newcastle City Council) part of Holocaust Memorial Day, where in collaboration with another artist I collated stories of local residents who had escaped genocide. The stories were portrayed alongside oil portraits of the participants.

My latest workshop delivery as an artist was in August 2025 where I researched and implemented combined art history and still life sessions celebrating Northern Artists.

My writing has appeared in several anthologies including four poetry collections published by Renard Press. https://renardpress.com