The Small Gallery, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
18 April – 5 July 2026
This exhibition brings together a selection of Carla Smith’s work that explores nature and how certain places can carry personal memories. Looking closely at trees and how they grow over time, the work reflects on how these living forms change alongside our own lives.
Many of the pieces focus on an apple tree in the Carla’s parents’ garden. As a child, Carla climbed its branches with her siblings, and the tree became part of everyday family life. As time has passed and bodies have changed, the branches can no longer be climbed in the same way. Instead, the tree now holds those memories.
The work is about connection between people, places, and the natural world. By slowing down and paying attention to ordinary moments, the exhibition encourages reflection. It invites us to think about the places that shape us, and offers a way to experience nature for those who may not be able to access it easily, allowing them to engage with its textures, rhythms, and sense of presence from within the gallery space.
Carla Smith is a multidisciplinary artist based in Edinburgh whose practice values simplicity, presence, and care. Carla’s work explores connection through hands‑on, playful experiences using printmaking, ceramics, film, and bookmaking. By working across different disciplines, she combines processes to experiment with materials and discover new forms.
Care, collaboration, and curiosity sit at the centre of Carla’s practice. She often works with food, creating edible artworks, shared meal events, and artist books that celebrate the joy of making and eating together. These projects invite people to connect through shared experiences. Her work looks at how relationships are built and sustained, focusing on small, everyday moments that are often overlooked which encourages reflection and offers a gentle alternative to the fast pace of daily life..
Carla graduated from Gray’s School of Art in 2022, then completed a Graduate Artist Residency at Peacock & the Worm in Aberdeen. She is now works at Tiphereth Print Studio and Edinburgh Printmakers, alongside her practice.
Website: www.carlasmithart.co.uk
Instagram: @carlasmiith_art