Naomi Grant British, b. 1987

My recent paintings centre on the theme of self-portraiture but my concerns are always pictorial and rooted in empirical observation. I do not seek to explore questions of identity and yet I am aware that my portraits are personal and introspective in nature. 

With the benefit of hindsight, I am conscious of the way in which my paintings have changed together with me and that they are wedded to the specific moment of their composition. In the past few months, I have also turned to the subject of still life and have enjoyed its quiet intensity; the challenge to make the simplest of compositions feel balanced, harmonious and compelling is an ongoing source of fascination. In many ways, these paintings feel like extensions of my self-portraits because they share a similar concentration of emotion. Artists such as Piero della Francesca, Morandi and Gwen John are among the most important figures to me for this reason; the quality of restraint which is common to these artists remains a value to which I am committed.