Leon Polk Smith (1906–1996) was a painter and educator recognized as a pioneer of Hard-Edge abstraction. Born in Indian Territory, now Oklahoma, to parents of Cherokee ancestry, he grew up surrounded by the expansive landscapes and geometric patterns that later informed his work. He earned a B.A. from East Central State Normal School and an M.A. from Columbia University's Teachers College in 1938. Inspired by Piet Mondrian and European modernism, Smith developed a distinctive visual language of sharply defined shapes, sweeping curves and vibrant colors. Smith served as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of California, Davis, in 1972. His work appeared in landmark exhibitions including The Responsive Eye (1965) at the Museum of Modern Art and Systemic Painting (1966) at the Guggenheim Museum. The Brooklyn Museum organized a major retrospective of his work in 1995.