Soler Grau
(Juan de La Cruz Lopez)
(b.1951) Alcoy, Spain

Spanish artist Juan de le Cruz Lopez - more commonly known in the United States and Europe by his pseudonym “Soler Grau” - was born in Alcoy, October 6, 1951.

Soler went through extensive studies attending school at the Escuela de Artes y Oficios at the Escuela Massane and at the Circulo de San Lluc. He later entered the Escuela de Bellas Artes de San Jorge. It was there that he worked in the studio workshop of Maestro Valls.

The hard work and dedication of Soler paid off as he gained praise and recognition for his work. In 1969 he won the Silver Medal in the Bienal de la Ciudad de Barcelona and in 1974 the Silver Medal in the Bienal de la Ciudada de Manrese. A particularly distinguished award came in 1976 when Soler won the first Pintura Joven, meaning young painters, award by the Sala Peres in Barcelona.

Soler continued to exhibit his paintings in various galleries in Alcoy, Madrid, Lerida and Alicante. However it is interesting to note that his work is not as well known in Spain as it is in the American and European art market. Perhaps in these countries there is a greater appreciation for his impressionistic style of painting.

Due to his solid artistic education and excellent drawing abilities, Soler is able to experiment in many different fields without confining himself to any one particular theme. Much of Soler's work contains his favoured theme of 'turn of the century' romantic nostalgia.

The Colomb Art Gallery currently has a number of original oil paintings by Soler Grau