In Good Company: Merkesha Grant
Merkesha Grant is Arts and Culture coordinator at Ealing Council by day and visual freelance artist by night as well as having a side hustle as the founder of a holistic herb blend brand.
At what stage in your life did you first move to Ealing?
I moved to Ealing around age 2. Ealing has been all I’ve known and has pretty much been my ‘norm’ ever since. I’ve live in Ealing, went to school in Ealing and have worked in Ealing since the age of 17.
If you were telling someone about Ealing who had never visited, how would you describe it?
Ealing is such a diverse area. Each town is truly different and showcases the verity Ealing has to offer. I find that Ealing has a lot of arts and culture to explore. It’s one of my favourite things about living here.
Do you have a favourite Ealing watering hole?
I really enjoy visiting Wetherspoons for an evening out with friends and family on a budget haha. It’s always a good vibe down there.
Where have you had your best Ealing meal?
I especially enjoy oriental food. My favourite place to eat is Wagamama’s. I love that there is one very local to me which is super convenient. A really close runner up would be Farm W5 – the food is always fresh, tasty and the staff are very friendly!
Is there a part of Ealing that you find particularly inspirational or where you find peace?
This couldn’t be a shock to any of my friends and family haha. I love exploring the green spaces in Ealing. This is most definitely my favourite place to find peace, relax and unwind. My favourite park is just walking distance, it includes a huge golf course, a river that flows through the whole park and loads of hidden gems. I sometimes bring a book or a mini speaker, food, a blanket and simply melt into the grass.
Tell us what you're up to & what's next for you.
I am a visual freelance artist, with a focus on paintings, tattoo designs and illustrations - based in Ealing. I began creating art from a very early age and eventually started showcasing my art via social media. Early 2020 - lockdown, I began creating and selling art as a freelance artist and now go by the title ‘The Candid Artist’.
I am working towards collaborating with fellow artists, new projects and creating more artwork on a larger scale. Discover more Candid Art: https://linktr.ee/candidart
I am also developing my holistic, self-care brand – herblend,mbs (mind, body & soul). Launched in 2023 herblend,mbs is all about feeding the mind, body and soul. We create herbal blends to suit your own needs, giving you that boost to become your best self. herblend,mbs is 100% natural. Whether you’re looking for a tea to help you relax after a long day, want to boot your immune system or want to create your own custom blend to suite your need - herblend,mbs has it all. I am a very passionate about support your body from the inside out. I am
hoping to expand herblend,mbs by releasing more products and starting a podcast discussing self-love, mental health and much more. Shop herblend,mbs and discover more: https://linktr.ee/herblend
