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Original Size: 24" x 18"

Something about an aged barn leaning in a field captures my heart. The wood—wrinkled by decades of sun, wind, and rain—makes me think of all the lives sustained by protective embrace. The barn sheltered the feed of many generations of livestock, cradled the tired for a much-needed rest, sustained the livelihood of farmers and hid stolen kisses and desperate tears.



After all that, it stands, like the wrinkled face of a beloved grandmother, against the background of a red-stained sunset, caressed by the whisper of a breeze. If it survives the weight of another winter’s snow or the unforgiving slaps of another storm, it will delight us again with its grin, made toothless from a few more boards lost to rusted nails.

Ovidiu Ervin Gruia’s work reflects the constant struggle for balance in a world of contradictions and radical transitions. A recent arrival on the art scene, the mostly self-taught Gruia addresses themes of freedom and oppression, tranquility in the midst of chaos and spirituality in a secular world. Gruia escaped communist Romania at age 15 along with his family and he landed in a Southern California public high school with only a basic knowledge of English. At age 17, he developed the first of several start-ups, only to leave the business world to pursue his education. He studied business and theology and has a broad range of experience in facilities management, marketing and business development in the energy and healthcare...