GRANT MANIER was born in 1995 and resides in Houston, Texas. He has autism and at a young age developed an obsessive repetitive behavior, tearing paper. A teacher advised Grant’s mother Julie to take away paper, as a way of negatively reinforcing what the teacher saw as destructive behavior. But Julie saw something else: an activity that calmed Grant. So instead, she bought him reams and reams of paper.

Soon Grant was assembling the torn paper into surprising artworks. By his early teens Grant began collecting stocks of paper and recycling it into his pieces. Using cool colors, cool shapes, cool textures, and calling his art “COOLAGES” Grant created a new type of “eco-art”, as a self-discovered form of therapy for his autism. Having autism has not stopped Grant; it has only lifted him and has inspired others to believe in themselves, even if their behavior seems “out-of-sync” or “obsessive” to others.

Grant says, “It’s not what we can’t do….it’s what we can do!” Along with appearing on television news shows and having art exhibitions, Grant has received many awards in recognition of both his beautiful art and also his faithful educational outreach.

See www.GrantsEcoArt.com and www.jigsawgrant.com.