Naomi Kim Grant was born in 1959 in Sydney, New South Wales. She is a descendant of the Wiradjuri people of central New South Wales. In 1964 her family moved to Junee and then back to Sydney in 1968 for four years before moving once again to Melbourne in 1972. In 1976 Grant moved to Perth where she graduated in 1980 with a Bachelor of Design (Textile major) from the West Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT – later Curtin University). In the 1980s Grant set up her own textile business, Naomi Mills Textile Designs, which she ran successfully until 1989 – the same year she won 'Best Watercolour Painting’ at the City of Bayswater Art Awards.
In 1990 Grant made the decision to concentrate more heavily on fine art as a career and in 1991 she was successful in receiving an Australia Council for the Arts grant that enabled her to travel to the Kimberly region of Western Australia on a painting expedition. She also began to submit her work into national art awards and in 1993 was a finalist in the 'Heritage Art Award’ exhibition held at Old Parliament House, Canberra.
In 1993 Grant enrolled in an architecture course at Curtin University but only completed the first year. Grant states that she “decided to withdraw at the time because I was a single mum and the pressure to study and look after my daughter was too great.” (Pers. Comm., April 2009). Instead she returned to full-time work, securing a job as a design coordinator at the Caning Vale Weaving Mills. She held this job for six years. In 2000 she freelanced as designer for Glen Holst Furniture and in 2001 worked as a development manager for Sonshine FM Christian Radio.
In 2000 Grant began exhibiting her acrylic paintings, collages and prints at various galleries around Perth. She developed a technique of layering coloured tissue paper under and over the painted surface, giving the surface a textured three-dimensional appearance. Grant’s paintings are inspired by dreams, visions and memories and her Indigenous heritage “adds another layer of design and inspiration” (Pers. Comm., April 2009).
In addition to winning the 1989 watercolour prize, Grant won the 1981 'Craftsman of the Year’ at the York Fair, was awarded 2nd prize for 'Best Oil Painting’ in the 2001 City of Belmont Art Awards, gained 'Most Popular Painting’ award and the 'Maali Indigenous Award’ at the 2007 Midland Gate Art Awards.
Searching for a change, in 2003 Grant undertook a TEFL course in Thailand and became an English and Art teacher in Bangkok in 2004. She returned to Australia in 2005 and worked for two years as a promotions, recruitment and student support coordinator at the Kurongkurl Katitjin School of Indigenous Studies at Edith Cowan University.
In 2007 Grant began painting full-time and in the same year her painting Shadow of Dreams was selected to be featured in the June edition of Australian Artist magazine. This was the third time Australian Artist had featured her work: the January and November 2002 editions that featured her paintings Evolution and Peace respectively.
In 2008 Australian Artist magazine published a feature article on Grant in their December issue and Oxfam Australia commissioned the painting Wiradjuri/Murray Darling climate change disaster which was displayed at the UN Conference on Climate Change in Poland, 2008.
In 2009 Grant was living and working in Perth, Western Australia.
- Writers:
- Allas, Tess
- Date written:
- 2009
- Last updated:
- 2011
