Kione Grandison is a multi-disciplinary artist based in London, with a strong cross-cultural practice that spans across various interests relating to identity, particularly her own identity as a person of mixed Jamaican heritage born and raised in London.
Working across different forms Grandison's work is interested in numerous subjects – from the Black beauty industry, Jamaican music and dancehall culture to traditional African adornment and tools of 'beautification', such as the hair comb.
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Grandison’s practices marries visual art with ethnography to access a breadth of key interests, including references that trace back to ancient African and Egyptian symbolism. The Black hair and beauty industry is a significant subject of interest, allowing the artist entry points into contemporary and historic cultures and exposing practices that resonate with her own personal experiences. Jamaica and her family connection to the country provide another evident source of inspiration and common motifs in her work include lush green landscapes, references to dancehall and sound system culture, street art and music records.
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Alongside her art practise, Grandison is a self-taught nail artist. Having developed her nail career working at WAH nails she is now a successful freelancer, working with brands, on editorial shoots and music videos. Grandison has always seen nail art as a creative and expressive outlet which can be directly linked to her artistic practice.
Similarly to hair, nail art is a popular tool for self-expression within diasporic African and Caribbean communities. Grandison is interested in how adornment practices have evolved through time and through the forced displacement of African people. Grandison sees her creative process as similar to the type of beautifying that happens within black beauty salon spaces.
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Grandison's work is a process of self-exploration that she uses to interrogate the politics and beauty of visual symbols from past and present- day African and Caribbean cultures.
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In the same year as graduating from Wimbledon College of Arts with a 1st BA in Fine Art, Grandison was one of the recipients of the Woon Foundation Art Prize in 2017.
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EDUCATION
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2014 - 2017
Wimbledon College of Arts (UAL) - BA Fine Art: Painting, 1st class honours
2012 -2014
Hampstead Fine Arts College, London
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EXHIBITIONS
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September 2023 - 'Portrait Of A Top Boy'- Group show
Somerset House Embankment Galleries, London
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October Nov 2022 - solo showcase
Migration Museum, London
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Sept 2019- ‘AKRA’- Collaborative show
Htown Studio, London
Aug 2019- ‘The Hair Appointment’- Group show
Peckham Palms, London
Feb 2019- ‘CWDT’- Group show
Five Miles, Tottenham, London
June 2017- ‘The Woon prize’- Group show
Baltic 39, Newcastle Upon Tyne
June 2017- Wimbledon BA degree show- Group show
Wimbledon College of Arts, London
March 2017- ‘108 Nails’- Group show
Copeland Gallery, Peckham, London
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PRESS
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2023- The National Portrait Gallery- online
'Portrait Of A Top Boy' online exhibition showcase
https://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/exhibitions/top-boy
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2022- Vogue, Nicholas Daley- online
Look book featuring artworks I made for Nicholas Daley SS22 Calypso collection
(https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2023-menswear/nicholas-daley)
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2022- Vogue, The Elder Statesman- online
Look book featuring artworks I made for The Elder Statesman fall 22'
collection
(https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2022-ready-to-wear/elder-statesman)
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2021- Why Now- online video interview
video interview about my work and influences
https://whynow.co.uk/watch/kione-grandison
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2020- It's Nice That- online
Interview about my work
https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/kione-grandison-art-110620
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2019- All the Pretty Birds- online
Article and interview about my work and inspiration
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2019- Elle magazine- online
(https://www.elle.com/uk/beauty/hair/g28717567/artists-celebrating-power-of-black-hair/)
2018 -Infringe magazine-In print
A collage used to illustrate a panel discussion titled ‘The art and politics of Black hair’
2018- Klass of K Swiss zine- In print
Interview about my Brixton mural project and influences
March 2018- Hairs How Russia magazine- In print
Interview about my work and influences
Aug 2017- Infringe magazine- online
Interview about my work (https://www.infringe.com/complex-hair-relations/
Jan 2017- The Fader- online
(http://www.thefader.com/2017/01/31/instagram-braiders-hair-shani-crowe-nikki-nelms)
Oct 2016- ThandieKay.com- online
Interview about myself and my work
July 2016- True Africa online- online
Interview about my work and influences (http://trueafrica.co/article/this-artist-takes-inspo-from- black-barbershops-to-wangechi-mutu/)
June 2016- Born n Bred zine Issue 3- In print
Feature and interview about my work
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PRIZES
2017 Woon Foundation Painting and Sculpture prize- (Awarded 3rd place prize)
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COLLECTIONS
Work in ownership of several private collections