ARTIST BIO Atlanta artist and painter, Craig Alan, first recognized his creative drive via crayons on his parents' walls, like many inspired young artists, and by the age of 7 his capacity for detailed visual interpretation became undeniable. After excelling in an introductory drawing class in school, Craig continued to develop technically and conceptually through his own diligent studies while always planning to pursue a formal art education. He accepted a soccer scholarship at the University of Mobile, AL along with 3 summer art classes and in the first, Pottery, Craig's light bulb switched on in a rejuvenating glow! Learning became enjoyable from that point forward in his life and he was immediately thrust into the scholastic limelight. To help sustain his education he found financial support and enjoyment in driving to New Orleans on his weekends and creating portraits for passersby on the streets, with original rates that baffle today, at $15 for charcoal and $30 for watercolor! This endeavor helped him perfect his flair for replicating the human figure and afforded the budding artist a sense of economic autonomy. With a focus on studio art, his minor concentration in theater further diversified Craig's craft and armed him with additional techniques in makeup and set design. This blending of disparate influences and media is visually apparent in all of Craig's works, which demonstrate a broad knowledge and appreciation of the human form as well as the colorful world these beings occupy. Craig earned an area award for academic excellence and the university's most prestigious exhibition, "Art with a Southern Drawl," featured 1 of Craig's pieces, out of 42 chosen from a field of more than 1,600 submissions. He learned how to frame art while working in a small frame shop part time while he was a student and a few months later his coworker pointed him in the direction of Deljou in Atlanta. He was hired and remained in framing for 4 years after pioneering the department's establishment before he realigned with his passion of art and joined the league of other artists in the art studio. In his prolific career is a culmination of textbook artistic knowledge and keen aesthetic sense that has gone from a "slow and studied" application to "fast and free of precise thought". Craig's collections run the gamut from abstract expressionism to haunting, graphic realism, each one a reflection of its creator's unique vision. He is most well-known for his Populus series, which drew inspiration from a balcony overlooking Orange Beach, Alabama where patrons enjoying a wedding party seemed to form the shape of an eye where they stood. Craig explains, "Inspiration begins with a 'What if...' as I consider alternate imagery, surfaces, effects, results, etc. It comes from the past in conjunction with now. Like a bolt of lightning." Since the epiphany, his Populus series is now home to dozens of celebrities and icons of all ages including: Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Freddie Mercury, James Bond, Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Van Gough, Gandhi, James Dean, Lady Justice, John Lennon, Queen Elizabeth, Darth Vader, Michael Jackson, Audrey Hepburn, and many more! Craig has become publicly recognized as an innovator in the visual arts industry and has achieved many spectacular feats through the years:• Year-round presence in: • More than 15 galleries in major cities across the U.S. • England at more than 40 galleries • Germany at 9 galleries, and • Canada• Collected by many private and prominent collectors• Populus portrait of Senator Harry Reid presented in the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C.• Frequent presence at major art fairs including: Palm Beach Show, Scope, Art Silicon Valley, Context Art Miami• Populus Nelson Mandela went viral as people spun the artwork into an actual tribute event photo Craig is humbled as he sees his work inspiring creativity among enthusiasts in various forms, including commercials and advertisements. He asserts, "Art needs to be responsible to its purpose; to inspire and enhance." To beginning artists he says encouragingly, "be yourself and do what YOU want to do, not what someone else advises or suggests," and in the words of his Pepaw, "Don't ever quit!"Born in 1971 in San Bernardino, California and raised in the Atlanta area, Craig first recognized his creative drive via crayons on his parents' walls, like many inspired young artists, and by the age of 7 his capacity for detailed visual interpretation became undeniable. After excelling in an introductory drawing class in school, Craig continued to develop technically and conceptually through his own diligent studies while always planning to pursue a formal art education. Exhibitions/ Gallery Representation2021 Porrentruy Optical Art Museum, "Art & Illusion: 10 Masters of Optical Art and Neopointillism," Porrentruy, Switzerland Contessa Gallery, Palm Beach, FL, USA Animazing Gallery, Las Vegas, NV, USA Craig Alan "New Works", Canfin Gallery, Tarrytown, NY, USA2020 "Craig Alan", Art Angels, Los Angeles, CA, USA Galerie S16, Montreal, Canada &Collections, Tokyo, Japan Taglialatella Galleries, Toronto, Canada Craig Alan "From the Ground Up", Pop International Gallery, New York, NY, USA 2019 Art Angels, Los Angeles, CA, USA Art Angels, Miami, FL, USA Clarendon Fine Art, Mayfair, England Contessa Gallery, Ohio, USA Galeries Bartoux, Paris, France Galerie Mensing, “Diamonds of Art by Craig Alan”, Düsseldorf, Germany Gallery Biba, Palm Beach, FL, USA Gaurisco Gallery, Washington D.C., USA Lahaina Gallery, Wailea, Maui, USA Minima Gallery, Mikonos, Greece Newbury Fine Arts, Boston, MA, USA Off The Wall Gallery, Houston, TX, USA Pop International Gallery, New York, NY, USA Studio E, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, USA 2018 Art Angels, Los Angeles, CA, USA Art Angels, Miami, FL, USA Clarendon Fine Art, Mayfair, England Contessa Gallery, Ohio, USA Galeries Bartoux, Paris, France Galerie Mensing, “Craig Alan’s Great Art”, Hamburg, Germany Gallery Biba, Palm Beach, FL, USA Guarisco Gallery, Washington D.C., USA Herndon Museum, Atlanta, GA, USA Lahaina Gallery, Wailea, Maui, USA The Lemon Grove Gallery, London, England Newbury Fine Art, Boston, MA, USA Off The Wall Gallery, Houston, TX, USA Pop International Gallery, “One Man Show”, New York, NY, USA Studio E, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, USA Whistler Gallery, BC, Canada 2017 Art Angels, Los Angeles, CA, USA Clarendon Fine Art, Mayfair, England Contessa Gallery, “Out of the Crate”, Cleveland, OH, USA Galerie Mensing, “Cocktails With Craig”, Palma de Mallorca, Spain Galerie Mensing, “Craig Alan: Be Part of the Art”, Düsseldorf, Germany Gallery Biba, Palm Beach, FL, USA Guarisco Gallery, Washington D.C., USA The Lemon Grove Gallery, London, England Mark Hachem Projects, Art Basel, Switzerland Newbury Fine Art, Boston, MA, USA Pop International Gallery, New York, NY, USA Studio E, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, USA 2016 Art Angels, Los Angeles, CA, USA De Montfort Fine Art, “The Craig Alan Tour”, Lichfield, England Galerie Mensing, “Stars”, Hamburg, Germany Guarisco Gallery, Washington D.C., USA Heitsch Gallery, Art Basel, Switzerland Pop International Gallery , New York, NY, USA 2015 De Montfort Fine Art, “The Craig Alan Tour”, Lichfield, England Galerie Mensing, “Craig Alan in Berlin”, Berlin, Germany Guarisco Gallery, Washington D.C., USA Hampton Classic Horse Show, BridgeHampton, NY, USA FairsRepresented by agent/publisher "Connect Contemporary" at the following fairs:2022 LA Art Show, Los Angeles, CA, USA Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary, Palm Beach, FL, USA Hamptons Fine Art Fair, Southampton, NY, USA2021 Art Miami CONTEXT, Miami, FL, USA Affordable Art Fair, New York, NY, USA2020 Art Palm Springs, Palm Springs, CA, USA LA Art Show Modern + Contemporary, Los Angeles, CA, USA Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary, Palm Beach, FL, USA 2019 Art New York, New York, NY, USA LA Art Show, Los Angeles, CA, USA Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary, Palm Beach, FL, USA 2018 Art Miami CONTEXT, Miami, FL, USA Texas Contemporary, Houston, TX, USA Art Market + Design, BridgeHampton, NY, USA Art New York, New York, NY, USA Art Boca Raton, Boca Raton, FL, USA Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary, Palm Beach, FL, USA 2017 Art Miami CONTEXT, Miami, FL, USA SCOPE, Basel, Switzerland Art New York, New York, NY, USA Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary, Palm Beach, FL, USA 2016 Art Miami CONTEXT, Miami, FL, USA CUBE Brussels, Belgium SCOPE, Basel, Switzerland Art New York, New York, NY, USA 2015 Art Miami CONTEXT, Miami, FL, USA Art Silicon Valley, Silicon Valley, CA, USA Hampton Classic, BridgeHampton, NY, USA Art Hamptons, BridgeHampton, NY, USA Art Palm Beach, Palm Beach, FL, USA LA Art Show, Los Angeles, CA, USA 2014 SCOPE Miami, Miami, FL, USA Houston Fine Art Fair, Houston, TX, USA Art Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, USA Art Hamptons, BridgeHampton, NY, USA