‘My paintings become happier’: Alexandra Grant on what dating Keanu Reeves has done to her art

Keanu Reeves and Alexandra Grant attended 2026 Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Gala together on Saturday in Los Angeles. The couple spoke with People at Geffen Contemporary at MOCA in Little Tokyo while on the red carpet. The conversation turned to how their relationship has shaped their respective creative work.

When asked whether he agrees with the view that Grant, 53, is an “easy woman to love,” Reeves, 61, answered without hesitation: “Yes!”

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Grant on how love changed her painting

Grant, whose work has been exhibited in galleries across the country, called the question a “big question” before giving a candid answer.

“I would say that all painting is autobiographical, even though maybe even in abstraction it doesn’t look like there’s a big narrative, but I would definitely say that my paintings become happier,” she told People.

She added that the effect her relationship with Reeves has on her work is “undeniable.” “I have to admit that,” she said.

This is not the first time Grant has made this observation. In a 2023 interview, she described a studio visit where a colleague pointed out the same shift. “I had a studio visit a few years ago, and this very kind, very high-level person said, ‘I can see that your work has gotten happier,'” she recalled at the time. She responded to that observation by saying: “That’s real. We’re all human beings. We’re animals. We are expressing from where we are and certainly feeling happier.”

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Grant on creative collaboration and mutual respect

In a separate interview with People published May 29, Grant opened up about how she and Reeves handle feedback on each other’s work. “He’s always so appreciative, so he’s always cautious, I think, with feedback, and I would say the same,” she said.

She described their approach as one of mutual respect for separate creative processes. “You want to always be respectful and leave the other person to bake their cake,” she said. She added, jokingly, “Just talking about my love makes me sweat.”

Grant noted that both she and Reeves are project-based people with similar working structures. “Every project has its own autonomy, its own team, it has its own sort of rules, and it has a beginning, middle and end,” she said. “So we both are people who do projects.”

She also referenced his most well-known roles with some humor. “I’ve lived with John Wick, I’ve lived with Neo,” she quipped, nodding to his characters in the John Wick and Matrix film franchises.

On the topic of communication, Grant said the two give each other space to process things alone while knowing full conversation is always available. “There is all the listening in the world that we know that we could talk about any problem or challenge or creative idea and talk about it forever if that is needed, and also respect the individual need to dive deep and have a process that’s maybe quiet or in another collaboration,” she said.

Grant on her creative partnership with Reeves

In earlier interviews, Grant spoke about how Reeves pushes her artistically. “What I love about Keanu and our exchange is that we’re pushing each other to build new roads,” she told People. “Seeing the other person’s problem-solving is inspiring.”

“He’s such an inspiration to me. He’s so creative, he’s so kind. He works so hard,” she added.

How the relationship started

Reeves and Grant met at a dinner party in 2009 and collaborated on two art books together. Their first project was Reeves’ 2011 book Ode to Happiness, which Grant illustrated. It was his first work as an author. For his second book in 2016, Shadows, Grant contributed artwork again.

Both famously private, Reeves and Grant kept their romantic relationship hidden before going public in 2019. They made their public debut at the LACMA Art + Film Gala in Los Angeles.

After going public, an insider told People at the time: “Keanu wants to openly share his life with her. He is extremely happy and grateful to have Alex in his life.”

Grant on falling in love as an adult

Grant has been open about the benefits of starting a relationship after her career was already established. “The good news about falling in love as an adult is that I had built my own career by the time that my relationship had begun,” she told People in 2023. “I feel very confident in the relationship on the red carpet. I feel confident on it alone.”

She also described the relationship as “interdependent and independent in the best ways.”

Reeves on their time together

Reeves has been openly fond in the rare moments he discusses Grant publicly. In a March 2023 interview with People, he was asked about his “last moment of bliss” and pointed to time spent with Grant. “A couple of days ago with my honey,” he said. “We were in bed. We were connected. And, we were smiling and laughing and giggling. Feeling great. It was just really nice to be together.”

At the December 2024 premiere of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, in which Reeves voices a character, he told Entertainment Tonight that seeing Grant dressed up for a red carpet event made him feel that “the heart just opens.”