Naomi Grant
Since 2000 Naomi has won over 20 awards, including the $10,000 Hawkesbury Art Award. Her successful career as a practising artist and designer spans the past 45 years. She graduated from Curtin University of WA with a BA in Design. Her career ranges from being self-employed as an artist, textile designer, senior designer at Canning Vale Weaving Mills, teaching art in Bangkok and promotional manager of Kurongkurl Katitjin, School of Indigenous Australian Studies at Edith Cowan University, Perth.
A descendant of the Wiradjuri people of central New South Wales, Naomi was born in Sydney but has made her home in Perth for the past 40 years.Recently she has relocated to Stanthopre QLD. Her Indigenous heritage brings a blend of the contemporary and mysterious together in many of her works. Colour, beauty and esoteric mysteries are strong inspirational elements that help mould each painting.
“I am very interested in the surface feel and the layering effect that helps create more than one perception of the image. I am very interested in pattern and design and I enjoy creating a design within the landscape. My works have an abstract element to them, with some still suggesting the literal image. I like this combination where the viewer can see different aspects and perspectives within the work”
Often these ideas spring from dreams, visions and memories of her travels. Naomi’s equally comfortable with traditional scenes, through to a more contemporary blending of realism and Indigenous imagery.
In the last 23 years, Naomi’s focus has been on acrylics and collage. She has developed a technique of using layers of coloured tissue paper under and over the painted surface. This gives the surface a three-dimensional textural quality.
Krishna Heffernan (Grant)
Krishna is a First Nations woman with family ties to Wiradjuri, Yorta Yorta and Dja Dja Wurrung peoples. She currently resides in Stanthorpe, Queensland, where she passionately engages in art, dancing, and esoteric studies .
Holding a Visual Arts degree from Riverina Murray College, she initially majored in Ceramics. However, in the past ten years, Krishna has transitioned to painting and showcased her evolving portfolio in local galleries across the Southern Downs, as well as in New South Wales and Western Australia.
Art Exhibitions
- Solo exhibitions, including "Art by Krishna" at Twisted Gum Winery, Eukey (Sep 2020).
- Group exhibitions at Yungarra Gallery, Dunsborough, WA (hung permanently in 2022 and 2024), Granite Belt Art Trail (2019, 2021, 2023), and more.
- Recognition in various art competitions such as Stanthorpe local artists competition (First prize in Indigenous art section, 2019) and Borderline Art Exhibition in Surat, Inverell, and Warwick.
Art Community Contributions
- Exhibition coordinator for Borderline Regional Arts Association (Easter 2024).
- Grant writer and workshop coordinator for Borderline Regional Arts Association (2021).
- Workshop coordinator and advertising/sponsor officer for Granite Belt Art Trail (2023).
- Granite Belt Art and Craft Trail Association, President 2024/25
Art Styles
- Collage Paintings: Krishna's unique approach combines paint, paper, and objects, emphasizing colour, texture, and patterns inspired by her environment. Her focus extends beyond the visible, exploring the spiritual depth within the landscape.
- Printmaking: Since 2019, Krishna has embraced various printmaking techniques, including lino printing, Mokulito printing, and Monotype printing. Her black and white lino prints showcase decorative design influenced by the local environment. Monotype printing takes on an abstract nature, emphasizing colour and pattern, using natural objects from her garden and bushland.