Cardboard Genius: The Architectural Marvels of Kambel Smith

The Germantown Historical Society is excited to present Cardboard Genuis: The Architectural Marvels of Kambel Smith, on view from March 29, 2025 through June 29, 2025. The museum's galleries are open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 12-4pm.

The exhibition will feature 11 works by Germantown-based self-taught artist Kambel Smith. Smith is known for his use of found materials, especially cardboard, in his intricate recreations of architectural landmarks. Smith, who “views his autism as a superpower,” creates these masterpieces entirely from memory, and often draws inspiration from the built environment around him in Philadelphia. His work has drawn recent attention from the art world, exhibiting in both solo and group shows and at art fairs nationally and internationally. Smith’s pieces have recently been acquired by the American Folk Art Museum, The West Collection, and private collectors.

This exhibition was produced in collaboration with Chris Byrne, Founder and Director of the Elaine De Kooning House (East Hampton, NY), where Smith previously held a residency, and Kambel and his family.  The show will feature several models of Philadelphia landmarks, including Congregation Rodeph Shalom, the Chinatown arch, and Germantown’s Nugent Home.