Anti-Alchemy

Justine Smith (b. 1971) is a London-based artist working in collage, print and sculpture. A graduate of City and Guilds of Art School, her work has been exhibited widely in galleries and museums internationally and is held in collections including the British Museum, British Library, Bank of England, Royal Mint Museum and UK Government Art Collection. Although best known for her use of banknotes and paper, Smith’s work spans wide ranging media, exploring ideas of value, power and our relationship with the world around us.
 
In 2019, Smith was commissioned by the Bank of England as part of its 325th anniversary celebrations, creating Specimen Florae Britanniae, a work that brought together her longstanding interest in money with the natural world.
 
In 2026, Smith was included in In Bloom: How Plants Changed Our World at the Ashmolean Museum, a major exhibition exploring the global histories of plants and flowers and their influence on landscapes, economies and cultures.