AUGUST 15 • 2024 | 55
J
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hat comes to mind when you 
hear the word maze? Are you 
picturing a one-dimensional 
black-and-white shape where the goal is to 
find the path from one opening to another or 
to the center? Well, you are in for a treat! It is 
time to catch up and keep up with the ever-
evolving genius of Jacob Evan Smith and his 
creative enterprise MazySuzan.
Smith has been drawing since before he can 
recall. He was especially drawn to doodling 
mazes. “My mom jokes she used to find me 
passed out with a pen and paper in my bed a 
lot,
” Smith says.
Doodling mazes became a necessary 
means of focus rather than a distraction. “It 
was an activity that was really important for 
my mental health, even as a little boy,
” Smith 
adds. “Increasingly throughout school, it was 
a real focus activity for me. I was a big-time 
margin doodler. I’
d be drawing stuff during 
class, not because I wasn’t paying attention, 
but because it was essential for me to pay 
attention.
” 
Smith grew up in West Bloomfield. He 
attended Groves High School and completed 
his undergraduate studies at the University 
of Michigan Ross School of Business. Many 
of Smith’s Michigan classmates left the state 
after graduation in 2010. Unlike his peers, 
Smith stayed in Michigan and focused on the 
nascent tech startup scene and community 
organizing in Detroit.
“My career could loosely be summarized 
into connecting people and explaining 
complex things in simple terms,
” he says.
Smith turned his love for mazes into a 
design studio, MazySuzan, which focuses on 
interactive art objects for homes and offices. 
The initial focus is wall art, but its catalog 
will soon feature sculptures, puzzles, games 
and more. The name is not in honor of any 
Suzan in particular, Smith just appreciates 
the sound and symmetry of the name. It is an 

intentionally whimsical play on “Lazy Susan,
” 
highlighting the fun and interactive nature of 
his designs.
Smith is increasingly gaining recognition 
for his work and opportunities to share his 
art. In 2024, Smith, for the second time, led 
a workshop at The Well’s ShavuART. He was 
also a featured artist at ORT’s Art and the 
City. His work has been featured in several 
local galleries, including a solo show at 
Corktown Studios this past November. 
It is time to experience MazySuzan for 
yourself. The next MazySuzan exhibit, The 
Wonder of Wandering, opens at the New 
Dodge Lounge in Hamtramck on Sunday, 
Aug. 18, from 3-7 p.m. 
 “I’ll be showcasing my new series of 
woodcut maze sculptures that invite your 
inner child out to play,
” Smith says. “Join me 
as we celebrate getting lost in the present 
moment!”
For more information and to RSVP
, visit: 
bit.ly/the-wonder-of-wandering. 

Experience the artistic evolution 
of Jacob Evan Smith.
MAZES 
Reimagined

YEVGENIYA GAZMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ART

“Dizzy Maze” 
by Jacob 
Evan Smith

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JACOB EVAN SMITH

Jacob 
Evan 
Smith

Jacob Evan 
Smith at 
work

