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.
Soler’s work can be seen in many leading British art galleries
including The Colomb Art Gallery, London.
The Colomb Art Gallery currently
has a number of original oil paintings by Soler
Grau