Skip to content
Justin Earl Grant
  • Home
  • About
    • Bio
    • Statement
  • Contact
  • Art Commissions
  • Exhibitions
    • Beseech
    • Sum of its Parts
    • Borderlust
    • Zeugma
    • Habitantes
    • Hurricane Earl
    • Apariencias
    • Boobytrap
    • Hodgepodge
    • Cuadros Corrientes
  • Projects
    • ECG
    • Fantasma
    • Gentle Terrorist
    • White Out
    • Burning Desire
    • Constelaciones
    • Cuatro Veces Yo

Biography

“(…)We could mention the North American artist Justin Earl Grant as a paradigmatic example of syncretism in modern art on this side of the world. The artist combines artistic languages originating from opposing traditions, the western and the non-western. In part, we see in the work of Justin Earl Grant the influence of artists of the European avant-garde, such as Mondrian, Kandinsky and Klee, who tried to reveal by the absolute stripping of the shapes, the sacred in the art.
On the other hand, the artist turns his gaze to his own traditions, towards folklore and the American multiethnic society in its entirety, from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, approaching the non-western aesthetic practices, which are related to ritual.”

(Carlos De la Vega Riffo)

 

Justin Earl Grant was born and raised on the Gulf Coast of Texas, La Porte, in the 1980s. Grant received a Bachelor of Science in Pure Mathematics from UT-Austin in 2005. From an early age he expressed interest in the visual arts, particularly in painting. In 2006 he settled in Buenos Aires, Argentina where he developed as an “outsider” artist, participating intensetly with different artistic groups. In 2014 he moved to Santiago de Chile where he part in the creative leadership of the group Radicales together with the Urbn Santiago collective. In 2016 Grant returned to Houston, Texas, where he continues to produce unique and highly personal works of art.

During the last 15 years he has received multiple distinctons and completed a wide range of exhibitons in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and the United States: Amarillo Museum of Art, Archway Gallery, The Jung Center, Sawyer Yards, Houston Public Library, Redbud Gallery, Galeria de Arte Chimkowe, Centro Cultural Espacio Matta, Galeria Buenos Aires Sur, Archway Gallery, Craighead Green Gallery, Institute of Hispanic Culture of Houston, Dallas Contemporary Art Gallery, among others.

VIEW EXHIBITIONS

justinearlgrant

Works on view Sabine Street Studios, part of the t Works on view Sabine Street Studios, part of the tenant show Love Hurts.  And yes, as contradictory as it might seem, love and pain are inseparable. 

Check them out during our triple threat opening reception night, Thursday March 5th, from 6pm to 9pm.
BEYOND THE FLESH Thursday, March 5 | Art Reception BEYOND THE FLESH
Thursday, March 5 | Art Reception
Saturday, March 14 | Artist Talk
Thursday, March 5 - Saturday, May 9 | On View
A powerful two-person exhibition featuring artists Constance Braden and Tod Bailey, curated by Justin Earl Grant. Through their respective art practices, both artists seek to explore the inner spaces of the human mind and body, employing radically different approaches.

SABINE STREET STUDIOS
1907 Sabine St., Houston, TX 77007

@sabinestreetstudiosartists
Ballet of the Masses: A City-Wide Open Call Celebr Ballet of the Masses: A City-Wide Open Call Celebrating Soccer and Houston’s World Cup Debut.

⚽️Soccer—or fútbol—is more than a sport; it is a global language. As Houston prepares to take the world stage as a host city for the FIFA 2026 World Cup, Sabine Street Studios invites local artists to join the celebration. We are welcoming thousands of international fans to our doorstep, and we want to show them the unmatched creativity and diversity that defines our city.

The Concept: We are asking artists to transform a standard soccer ball into a work of art. Whether through painting, drawing, collage, or mixed media, we want to see your "intervention" on the ball.

Important Dates:
📌Exhibition Run: May 21 – July 25, 2026
📌Opening Reception: Thursday, May 21 | 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
📌World Cup Party & Awards Ceremony: Date TBA. 

 APPLY NOW: https://sawyeryards.submittable.com/submit/348205/sabine-ballet-of-the-masses-city-wide-open-call
Love Hurts Sabine Street Studios, South Gallery On Love Hurts
Sabine Street Studios, South Gallery
On view: February 14th through May 9th
Artist Talk: Saturday, March 14th, 3pm
Opening Reception: Thursday, March 5th, 6pm to 8pm

@sabinestreetstudiosartists invites the public to its newest exhibition Love Hurts. Love Hurts dives deep into the pains and paradoxes of love, revealing the intricate layers of being human. Through a diverse collection of artworks, it captures both the joy and the heartache that come with love, from passion and connection to loss and loneliness. Whether it is love for a place, tradition or a person, the feeling is transmitted by the artist to the viewer.
Visitors will experience a thoughtful journey reflecting on how love shapes our identities, challenges us, and ultimately defines much of our emotional lives. The exhibition blends powerful visuals and intimate storytelling, inviting viewers to confront the vulnerability and strength that coexist in love’s many forms.
Through painting, sculpture, photography or mixed media, Love Hurts offers a raw but hopeful perspective on the universal experience of love’s complexities.

https://www.sawyeryards.com/do/love-hurts
“The correct side of history” Mixed media, copper “The correct side of history”
Mixed media, copper leaf on paper 
24 by 18 inches
2026
Join us at @sabinestreetstudiosartists for the exh Join us at @sabinestreetstudiosartists for the exhibition "Zuzu's Petals," inspired by a classic film. Experience a vibrant mixed-media display that reflects on the past year and celebrates new beginnings!

Mondays-Saturdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Continues through Jan. 31

Featured artists: Goldfighter, Audrey Nguyen, Stephen Smith, Romeo C. Robinson, Kari Breitigam, Kelly Best Bourgeois, Pooja Taneja, Xavier Nguyen, Cindy Brideau, Sana Shaw, Tom Paul, Toto, Justin Earl Grant, Donna Carnahan, Pooja Taneja, Eric Coan, Jenn Tanguy, Lisa Reid, Ray Dunlap, Olga Arinkina, Lucy W. Riggs And Yvette Grutter.
New work installed for Dr. Krell. New work installed for Dr. Krell.
A big THANK YOU to everyone who showed up for my a A big THANK YOU to everyone who showed up for my artist talk last week.  Your attention and thoughtful questions and comments were very meaningful to me. 

FOR those who haven’t seen the show or wish to see it again, I’ll be at Sabine this Saturday from 1pm-3pm. Swing by have a Uruguayan pastry, coffee, and/or Cognac. 

#houstonartist #houstonartgallery #sawyeryards #sawyeryardshouston #abstractpainting #forfree #cognac #coffee #beseech
"Beseech," an installation by Justin Earl Grant, s "Beseech," an installation by Justin Earl Grant, serves as a profound reflection on the essence of human connection through a captivating arrangement of 30 enigmatic portraits. This suspended oval configuration invites viewers to engage with each piece, which is executed on photographic paper and showcases a distinctive wax finish. The hand-torn edges of the portraits add a tactile and emotional dimension, enhancing the viewer's experience. At the heart of the installation lies a monumental sculptural work that anchors the entire exhibition, enveloped in warm lighting reminiscent of candlelight, fostering a contemplative atmosphere.
Beseech Artist Talk ✨ THURSDAY October 16th, 7:00 Beseech Artist Talk ✨
THURSDAY October 16th, 7:00 PM
Sabine Street Studios
1907 Sabine St, Houston, TX 77007

We are pleased to invite you to an insightful discussion with Justin Earl Grant as he shares his reflections on his most recent artwork, currently exhibited at Beseech. This event offers a unique opportunity to delve into the intricacies of his artistic practice and the various elements that characterize his body of work. Join us to explore the creative processes, inspirations, and thematic concerns that inform his pieces. Your presence will enrich this conversation, fostering a deeper understanding of the art on display and its significance within contemporary discourse. We look forward to welcoming you.

"Beseech," an installation by Justin Earl Grant, serves as a profound reflection on the essence of human connection through a captivating arrangement of 30 enigmatic portraits. This suspended oval configuration invites viewers to engage with each piece, which is executed on photographic paper and showcases a distinctive wax finish. The hand-torn edges of the portraits add a tactile and emotional dimension, enhancing the viewer's experience. At the heart of the installation lies a monumental sculptural work that anchors the entire exhibition, enveloped in warm lighting reminiscent of candlelight, fostering a contemplative atmosphere.

While the series initially delves into the artist’s exploration of family dynamics, it transcends into a broader narrative, featuring fictional characters that navigate various social spectrums akin to a Shakespearean drama. 

Concurrently, the opening of "Step Into The Light," featuring artists from @sabinestreetstudiosartists, will take place at South Gallery, further enriching the cultural landscape of the venue. 👏
Step Into the Light by @sabinestreetstudiosartist Step Into the Light 
by @sabinestreetstudiosartists
💫Opening Reception THURSDAY October 16th. 6:00 to 8:00 PM

🌟Participating artists:
T. D. Paul Studio
@bestbourg_studio
@thetototheory 
@ericcoan1 
Lisa Reid Fine Art
Constance Braden / Special guest @springstreetstudiosartists 
@karibreitigam 
Xavier Nguyen
Audrey Nguyen
Crystal Billing
Steve J. Smith Art
Amanda T. Silva
@ladonnafoto 
@justinearlgrant 

⚡#Onview until December 6th
Monday to Saturday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
South Gallery, Sabine Street Studios @sawyeryards
1907 Sabine St, Houston, TX 77007
@papercityhouston BY Joshua Jones Suspending The U @papercityhouston BY Joshua Jones
Suspending The Unnatural
In “BESEECH,” Justin Earl Grant draws on his background in mathematics to create geometric shapes in his portraits and sculptures, calling upon the works of cubist artists. Rather than a conventional display, viewers are greeted by large portraits of distorted faces suspended in an oval above the ground. In the center stands a sculpture of a head with four faces. The artist wanted to ensure that the portraits and sculptures had a presence, regardless of the viewer’s position.

For Grant, this subversion of traditional art installation fosters a moment of connection between the viewer and the portraits — a sense of familiarity.

“I want people to be impacted by the large new works and to have a moment of deep reflection and heightened curiosity,” Grant says. 

This deep reflection and connection is one of the most profound aspects of Grant’s works. In an era when many people are increasingly disconnected from one another and physical interaction is becoming less prevalent, this artist speaks to what it means to be connected.
In Grant’s solo exhibition BESEECH, he transforms In Grant’s solo exhibition BESEECH, he transforms the gallery into a dimly lit installation where portraits hang suspended from the ceiling, creating the sensation of floating presences. Expressive, loosely rendered portraits — dipped in wax for a translucent, candlelit glow — invite viewers to navigate among them.

Beseech by Justin Earl Grant
On view until Saturday, November 1st, 2025 
Sabine Street Studios, North Gallery
1907 Sabine St., Houston, TX 77006
Monday to Saturday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
#freeadmission 

📸 by Chris Piñon

The exhibition Beseech is partially funded by the City of Houston though the @houstonartsalliance
Beseech: to beg for urgently or anxiously. Aerial Beseech: to beg for urgently or anxiously.

Aerial installation, mixed media works on paper, on view until Nov. 1st.
Sabine Street Studios.
Beseech By Martín De León @yahmartinyah Ask you Beseech
By Martín De León 
@yahmartinyah 

Ask yourself.
Ballooned by your own body—looking up to see your face violently falling from the Earth’s inner eyelid that is the sky—is there anything you wouldn’t do for you? The body is an essay. Your eyelids blink silent supplications hoping you’ll hear yourself see.
Your mouth is a closed parenthesis to a question waiting to be born.
(If not now, when?)
In his exhibit of 30 mixed media works, Beseech, Justin Earl Grant creates a phantasmagoric universe of portraits that depend on you. Haunting you like a prayer in a language you don’t speak. Printed on handtorn photographic backdrop paper, each portrait is interrogative. Everybody going thru it. The mixed media pieces are composed of graphite, ink, oil, pastel, chalk pastel, and watercolor. Each untitled piece is filled with jagged swords of noisy light wishing a tiny death upon silence.
Portraits, for the first time, makeup an entire show by Justin Earl Grant. Where his early work focused on the glory of abstraction, Beseech, affirms the human-sized hole that is our reality’s sun. The ghost of this exhibit began as a remix of Henri Matisse’s 1905 painting, The Green Stripe, and grew to include a secret royal family (go find them) and a newly incorporated technique where Grant dipped works in beeswax (i am trapped in this parenthesis please call my parents) to create a muted hum eternalizing the agony of time.
Beseech reminds us that to remember is to impose a gentle terrorism upon oneself. We must beg of ourselves with all the weight of being alive. Asking for help is a horror, but Grant’s portraits show us no greater pain exists than failing to show up for yourself. Yet a hope stubbornly hides in these works. Unshaped, screaming, grabbing you by the throat.
Asking you.
Will you help me?

Beseech by Justin Earl Grant
@sabinestreetstudiosartists, Houston, TX
@artsdistricthou 
On view until Saturday, November 1st, 2025
Beseech by Justin Earl Grant @sawyeryards @sabine Beseech by Justin Earl Grant
@sawyeryards  @sabinestreetstudiosartists, North Gallery
1907 Sabine St., Houston, Texas, USA

Beseech is an art exhibition by Justin Earl Grant that runs from September 12 to November 1, 2025, featuring 30 unique portraits that explore human connection through a suspended installation. The exhibition invites viewers to engage with the artwork in a contemplative environment, enhanced by warm lighting and a central sculpture.

#YouAreInvited 
The opening will be held on Thursday, September 18, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, with catering provided by The Horse and the Turtle.

#Onview from Friday, September 12th until Saturday, November 1st, 2025.

The exhibition Beseech is partially funded by the City of Houston though the @houstonartsalliance
#comingsoon Beseech by @justinearlgrant @sawyery #comingsoon 
Beseech by @justinearlgrant 
@sawyeryards 
Sabine Street Studios, North Gallery, 1907 Sabine St., Houston, Texas, USA

Friday, September 12th – Saturday, November 1st, 2025

✒In Grant’s solo exhibition BESEECH, he transforms the gallery into a dimly lit installation where portraits hang suspended from the ceiling, creating the sensation of floating presences. Expressive, loosely rendered portraits — dipped in wax for a translucent, candlelit glow — invite viewers to navigate among them.

Stay tuned for more information 😮

🍾The opening will be held on Thursday, September 18, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, with catering provided by @the_horse_and_the_turtle

The exhibition Beseech is partially funded by the City of Houston though the. @houstonartsalliance
Fresh from my favorite picture framers SJ Art & Fr Fresh from my favorite picture framers SJ Art & Frames.  This large watercolor, 44 by 32 inches, is titled “Mother Wave” and is dedicated to all the surfers who are connected to the sea by body and board. 

Collection of Dr. John H. Krell, DDS. 

#watercolorpainting #customframing #surfing #surfinglife #surfingmagazine #surfsidebeach #surfsidetx #galveston #gulfofmexico #houstonartist #sawyeryards #sabinestreetstudios
Lo que viene. What’s next. BESEECH Lo que viene. 

What’s next. 

BESEECH
Grand Opening Night at @sabinestreetstudiosartists Grand Opening Night at @sabinestreetstudiosartists ✨
It's a great honor to celebrate alongside this wonderful community of artists. 
The Essence of Elements curated by @ladonnafoto exhibition can be visited Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m until September 23, 2025. Free admission. @sawyeryards 
@artsdistricthou
Follow on Instagram
© 2026 - All rights reserved

  • Instagram
  • Facebook