Juan Grela

Juan Grela (Tucumán, 1914 – Rosario, 1992) was a self-taught painter and printmaker, and a key figure in 20th-century Argentine art. He settled in Rosario in 1925 and, guided by Antonio Berni, joined the Mutualidad de Estudiantes y Artistas Plásticos in 1935. Founder of the Grupo Litoral, he helped shape a modern and local artistic tradition. Grela also taught drawing, painting, and printmaking both independently and in universities and art centers. His work earned numerous awards, including distinctions at the Rosario, Santa Fe, and Buenos Aires Salons. Major milestones include his retrospective at the Museo Rosa Galisteo de Rodríguez (1959) and a monograph published by Biblioteca Vigil (1968). Today, his legacy endures as a central reference in Argentine visual arts.