Whoever thought sitting could be considered a radical act? Not this guy.

But in a world hurtling forward at breakneck speed — where Amazon can plop groceries on your doorstep in under two hours, Instagram updates can keep you locked in an endless scroll, political debates usually flare into wars on Twitter (ugh, X) before breakfast and wildfires can devour thousands of acres overnight — sitting has become an act of quiet defiance. And I’m not just talking about sitting corporeally — though giving those creaky joints a break is always nice.

I mean the kind of sitting that requires more than a chair — resting with our thoughts and the messy, complex human experience that so often gets drowned out by the noise of modern life: sitting emotionally.

Brady Smith’s latest exhibition, “Sitting Together,” gently encourages this act of emotional and physical stillness.

Now on display at Kin Studio and Gallery, 4725 16th St., #104, Boulder, Smith’s work is rooted in themes of mental health and reflection. From intricately penciled renderings of folding chairs to acrylic paintings depicting friends in quiet conversation, his art captures unspoken intimacy and transforms repetition into a language of its own.

“So much good can be found in taking time to sit and be still,” Smith said.

His work nudges you to do just that.

A native of the Denver suburb of Arvada, Smith’s career has taken him from local galleries to international exhibitions.

His work remains humbly grounded in the personal realm, exploring ideas of depression, struggles with suicidal ideation, loneliness, and, well, things that feel achingly familiar, like a conversation you’ve had — or maybe one you’ve avoided.

Addressing mental health can feel isolating, but Smith’s work creates a sense of connection and reminds us that none of us are alone in our struggles.

This emphasis on community is mirrored in the space itself. According to Smith, showcasing “Sitting Together” at Kin has been a meaningful opportunity to connect and share his work in such a supportive environment.

“[Kin Studios] has done an amazing job at creating events that feel local in the best way — full of neighbors catching up, new people to meet and more community gained,” he said.

We caught up with the artist to learn more about the importance of having a seat, the connections between art and mental health, and the surprising power of a folding chair.

Q >> Can you tell us a bit more about your exhibit, “Sitting Together,” and the themes you explore in this collection?

A >> This exhibition was put together from three different series: “To Fold and Repeat,” “Some People I Know, and Some People I Don’t” and “Sticks and Stones.”

I selected the works with Allyson McDuffie from Kin Studio and Gallery. It was really great working with someone who owns an art space and is also an artist themselves.

She helped and encouraged me to take a step back and see my pieces outside the series I created them in. Being able to bounce off some of those ideas with another artist was invaluable. In the end, we decided to build the exhibition around a theme of sitting.

Be that sitting with ourselves, with loved ones, with mental health struggles, with challenges, etc. So much good can be found in taking time to sit and be still.

Q >> Your art delves into mental health and shared human experiences. What do you hope viewers learn from engaging with your art?

A >> My goal as an artist is most often to teach someone about a mental health challenge. So much good can come from conversations and learning about mental health.

For those who struggle with their own mental health, it can be vital to learn about other experiences. Learning and conversing with others about shared mental health brings people together and creates a deeply rooted common ground.

It also provides some level setting when understanding where others are or have come from.

For those fortunate enough to not have struggles with mental health, I have found sharing those struggles through art allows for other ways of knowing and understanding.

Many of the mental health challenges that I try to portray can be hard to communicate about in words, and equally hard to understand through words. Placing meaning into pictures can often bridge that gap and create a space for dialogue to begin.

Q >> Repetition shows up a lot in your work — how does that connect to the themes of mental health and the shared struggles people go through?

A >> I’m happy you asked about this. Repetition is kind of everything to me these days. I’m currently working on a (doctorate) in creative research and am researching the use of repetition in visual art. The deeper I dig into this theme, the more connections I find to mental health.

A quick example is the

work that takes place when one first chooses to see a therapist, counselor, psychologist, psychiatrist, or other mental health professional. Some of those early conversations will involve recounting moments from your past. Each of those recounting is a form of repetition. You might be asked to look for patterns in your life to see if there is a correlation between struggles and triggers you might experience. Each of those patterns is a form of repetition. You might start on medications. Each pill taken is a form of repetition.

What I’m getting at is that repetition is far more involved in our lives than we may realize. It’s certainly more present in art than is realized, and it’s nearly inescapable in working on mental health. And that’s a great thing. Repetition is good and I’m here for it.

Q >> Everyday objects play a prominent role in your work. How do you choose these objects, and what do they represent in your compositions?

A >> I’m far more interested in everyday objects. I find everyday objects far more relatable and therefore far more interesting to depict in my work. I remember in my undergrad taking an advanced figure drawing class. Because we had already gone through beginning figure drawing, the models in this class would wear clothing, most often fantasy or period costumes. Many of the illustration majors took this class because it allowed them to practice drawing different types of clothing on a model. I, however, was always excited when the models were too lazy to change into a costume and instead wore their own clothes. I loved getting to draw someone wearing the normal clothes that they chose to put on their body. There was far more interest to me in what someone chooses to wear than someone dressed up like a pirate or princess.

All of that is to say, when I have a meaning I want to imbue in a piece, I find everyday objects do the job much easier than something fancy or unique. A folding chair can speak about far more to far more people because far more people have engaged and handled and built a relationship with them than a tufted velvet, gilded wingback chair or something.

Q >> Mental health is such a personal and vulnerable topic for many. What challenges do you face in expressing these experiences through visual art?

A >> I have found expressing my own challenges with mental health through visual art pretty easy. Don’t get me wrong. It was very scary the first couple of times, but not really challenging. Each exhibition or work that I’ve shown has gotten a little less scary. One thing I found challenging in the beginning was learning how to package my mental health struggles into concepts that people could grasp. It was like discovering a new language. I’m not really sure if I’ve learned that language fluently because it is constantly changing. I enjoy the constant change though and enjoy trying to find new ways to talk about new things that others might relate to.

What is hard, though, is talking to people close to me about my mental health. That’s still a big challenge, for sure.

“Sitting Together” is on display at Kin Studio and Gallery through Jan. 30. Admission is free.