Robert Grantham
I’m an Austin-based artist working in acrylic painting and calligraphy. My work lives at the intersection of lyrical abstraction, neo-expressionism, and calligraphic mark-making, drawing on the gravity of icon painting and medieval composition, then dragging it into the present with street-level materials, layered revisions, and handwriting that refuses to behave.
“I make sacred Southern-Gothic abstraction where calligraphic mark-making, weathered surfaces, and charged color turn humble materials into relic-like paintings of memory, endurance, and witness.”
What I make
- Original acrylic paintings on canvas or panel
- Calligraphy and hand-lettering works (paper, panel, and street materials)
- Murals and site-specific lettering
- Commissioned pieces built around a collector’s space and story
What I care about
Craft matters. History matters. And so does the lived reality behind the work. I’m not interested in “content.” I’m interested in objects that hold up under time and scrutiny.
If you want a neat little inspirational poster, there are factories for that. If you want something handmade that feels like it has weathered a life, we’ll get along.
My approach
My paintings fuse lyrical abstraction, neo-expressionist force, and calligraphic structure with a strong symbolic and sacred-image undercurrent. I’m interested in the point where abstraction stops being merely decorative and starts carrying memory, pressure, witness, and presence.
A lot of the work operates between painting and inscription. Forms may suggest bloom, threshold, relic, scar, weather, or icon without settling into straightforward representation. I want the image to feel deliberate but alive—structured, but still carrying some heat.
Influences range from medieval and early Renaissance painting to post-graffiti energy and contemporary abstraction. What ties it together is a belief that handmade marks still matter: that a surface can hold history, revision, and emotional weight without losing its formal discipline.
Where to start
For originals, browse the curated gallery. For custom work, start with the commissions page and send an email with what you’re imagining. If you’d like a fuller view of my exhibition history, background, and practice, you can also view my artist CV.