Lucien Smith, Whose Meteoric Rise Presaged a Diverse Second Act, Dies at 37

Artist and downtown darling, Lucien Smith, dead at 37

Artist and downtown darling, Lucien Smith, dead at 37.

Lucien Smith, Whose Meteoric Rise Presaged a Diverse Second Act, Dies at 37

Lucien Smith, an artist whose career spanned painting, public projects, and restaurants, has died at the age of thirty-seven. His death, news of which circulated widely on social media, was first reported by Art News. No cause has yet been publicly revealed. Originally known for his contributions to the abstract painting boom of the 2010s, Smith […]

Artist Lucien Smith, Fixture of NYC’s Downtown Scene, Dies at 37

Following early market success and what he called “the pitfalls of gaining notoriety so early,” Smith shifted his focus to community-centered projects.

Lucien Smith, Onetime Market Darling Who Turned His Focus To Helping Emerging Artists, Has Died at 37

Known as one of the “zombie formalists,” the restless artist would go on to try to help younger artists with efforts like Serving the People and the restaurant Food.

Lucien Smith, Art World "Wunderkind" Behind the Rain Paintings, Dies at 37

$372,000 against a $66,000 estimate, that was the price Lucien Smith’s Two Sides of the Same Coin fetched as the opening lot of a 2014 Sotheby’s contemporary art auction in London, a sale that captured just how fast the young painter’s market had risen. Smith died in September 2026 at age 37. Born in Los […]