Sharman Grant William

At the age of 15 Grant William Sharman broke his neck during a rugby match, which left him quadriplegic. He had to give up his dream of becoming a pilot. During his stay in hospital he worked as a receptionist for a wallpaper manufacturer for seven years and after leaving hospital he was employed by the Auckland Area Health Board as a patient advocate and councillor. In 1980 Grant William Sharman was introduced to painting with a brush in the mouth by the mouth painter Bruce Hopkins, a member of the VDMFK who died in 1985. The training bore fruit, and it was only one year later that Sharman was granted a scholarship by the Association. As early as seven years later he became a full member of the VDMFK.

Grant William Sharman's favourite motifs are flowers and landscapes. His paintings are characterised by a deep feeling for nature and great artistic instinct. He has displayed his work at competitions and exhibitions all over New Zealand as well as abroad and has received numerous awards and distinctions. It is therefore hardly surprising that the media have done a story about him several times. In 1991 he organized and staged his first solo exhibition. In addition, he regularly conducts workshops and speaks at schools and different organizations about living in a wheelchair and the ups and downs of life with a disability.