Onaje Grant-Simmonds (b. May 19, 2002) is a Surrealist painter born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. He is currently studying Visual Arts at Brown University in Providence, RI, where he will receive his AB in May of 2024. Grant-Simmonds explores the ego, consciousness, anxiety, and divinity in paintings which merge abstraction with naturalism. Grant-Simmonds has exhibited in solo shows in Brooklyn and Providence, as well as group shows at prestigious venues including the New York Academy of Art, the RISD Museum, Brown University, and the Providence Art Club. Inspired by adventure cartoons and comic books at an early age, Grant-Simmonds dreamt of illustrating his own universe. That inspiration, combined with his growing Vajrayana Buddhist practice and exposure to the New York art community, instilled a life-long passion for painting and a fascination with the mind. Grant-Simmonds recently attended the Gomde California meditation retreat and completed an abroad program in Florence, Italy. He looks forward to processing and sharing what he learned on these journeys in his future paintings.
Education
Brown University, 2024. AB (candidate). Providence, RI
Exhibitions
• 2023: Syracuse Florence Student Exhibition. Florence, Italy
• 2023: Brown University’s 43rd Annual Student Juried Exhibition. Juried by Lani Asunción and Xander Marro. Providence, RI
• 2023: Housewarming. Project Space. Providence, RI
• 2023: Pandemonium. List Art Center. Providence, RI (Solo show)
• 2022: Enter Cerebrum. Haus of Gold. New York, NY (Solo show)
• 2022: Faunal Meditation. List Art Center. Providence, RI (Duo show)
• 2022: New York Academy of Art SURP Exhibition. New York Academy of Art. New York, NY
• 2022: The Black Biennial. RISD Museum’s Gelman Gallery. Providence, RI
• 2022: Scholarship Exhibition. Providence Art Club College. Providence, RI
• 2022: Brown University’s 42nd Annual Juried Student Exhibition. Juried by Wendy Edwards and Jordan Seaberry. Granoff Center. Providence, RI
• 2021: Exhibition at Ashenfelter Slous McDonough & Trevenen, LLP. Montclair, NJ
Awards
• 2023: Honorable Mention at Brown University’s 43rd Annual Student Juried Exhibition. Providence, RI
• 2022: Wendy Edwards Fellowship Award. Brown University. Providence, RI
• 2022: Second Place Award for the Providence Art Club College Scholarship Exhibition. Providence, RI
• 2020: Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Silver Key. New York, NY
Residencies:
• 2022: Summer Undergraduate Residency Program at the New York Academy of Art. New York, NY
Publications
• 2020: ”Prospect Park Is the (Only) Place to Be: One October weekend of socially distanced socializing.” New York Magazine’s The Cut. https://www.thecut.com/2020/10/photographs-prospect-park-is-the-only-place-to-be.html
• 2022: “Providence Art Club displays works from Rhode Island College Students.” The Brown Daily Herald. https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2022/02/providence-art-club-displays-works-from-rhode-island-college-students
• 2022: “Project Main Green brings live art, music to campus.” The Brown Daily Herald. https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2022/10/project-main-green-brings-live-art-music-to-campus