Deborah Grant (artist) facts for kids

Deborah Grant is a talented artist born in Canada in 1968. She is known for her amazing paintings and collages, especially a series called "Random Select." Today, she lives and creates her art in Harlem, New York.

About Deborah Grant

Her Early Life and School

Deborah Grant was born in Toronto, Canada, in 1968. She lived there for her first four years. Growing up, she was raised in the Catholic Church. Sometimes, she and her brother would even build small shrines in empty lots in Brooklyn.

Deborah loved art from a young age. She went to Columbia College Chicago and earned a special degree called a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in painting in 1996. Later, she continued her studies at Tyler School of Art, where she received her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in 1999.

After finishing her master's degree, Deborah spent a summer at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Madison, Maine. This was a special program for artists. From 2002 to 2003, she was also an artist-in-residence at the Studio Museum in Harlem. This means she worked and created art there for a period of time.

Her Unique Art Style

Deborah Grant's artwork often tells imaginative stories through her paintings and drawings. She mixes images from many different places. These can be anything from comic books to old art history books.

She creates pictures that tell stories about cultural identity, race, and politics. Her art can be a burst of colors and collages, or it can be simpler, focusing on one idea. Deborah explains that her work explores "the idea of constant information bombardment or the chaos in the back of our minds juxtaposed with what is happening physically in front of us." This means she shows how our minds are full of thoughts and information, even while we are doing things in the real world.

Awards and Recognition

Deborah Grant is a highly respected artist. In 2011, she was honored with the William H. Johnson Prize. This award celebrates talented African-American artists.

Where You Can See Her Art

Deborah Grant's art has been shown in many important galleries and museums. Here are some places where her work has been featured:

• The Drawing Center in New York, USA (2014)
• The Institute for Research in Art at the University of South Florida, USA (2014)
• The Berkeley Art Museum in Berkeley, USA (2009)
• The Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston, USA (2008)
• P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center in New York, USA (2007)
• Alexandre Pollazzon Ltd in London, United Kingdom (2007)
• Esso Gallery in New York, USA (2007)
• The University of Arkansas in Little Rock, USA (2007)
• Roebling Hall in New York, USA (2006)
• Steve Turner Gallery in Beverly Hills, USA (2006)
• The Studio Museum in Harlem in New York, USA (2001)
• The Santa Monica Museum of Art in Santa Monica, USA (2001)

Art in Permanent Collections

Some of Deborah Grant's artworks are part of permanent collections. This means they are owned by museums and will be kept there forever for people to see. One of her famous pieces is:

• In the Land of the Blind the Blue Eye Man is King, created in 2007, which is at the Nasher Museum of Art in Durham, USA.