My Biography

Born in communist Romania, Ovidiu E. Gruia comes from a long line of people who stood out for what they believed, and were persecuted for it. His great grandfather was one of the regional leaders of the peasant revolution of 1907 and paid for with his life. His grandfather fought in both world wars and by a miracle missed being sent with his family to a concentration camp in WWII for refusing to recant his faith. His uncle was tortured at the hands of the communist regime and because he stood up for his Christian faith at age 13, Ovidiu forfeited his right to higher education. Seeking freedom, his mom and dad defected to the United States in 1983. In 1985, and with significant US government pressure, Ovidiu at age 15, joined his parents on the West Coast.
From an early age, writing, drawing, painting and sculpture became an outlet to express both beauty and pain. In the struggle to support his family as an immigrant in the US, art became marginalized to a hobby, but the passion was never extinguished.
Pencil and charcoal drawings, watercolor, oils and acrylics became the language of his soul.
Having studied with the artist and author Lee Hammond in Portland Oregon, he developed his proficiency at drawing, blending and shadowing. Under the coaching of other artists, Ovidiu expanded his technique in watercolor, acrylics and oils. Known for his bold and colorful impressionistic and modern paintings his work can be found in galleries in the Midwest, where he now lives.