Cornelius Grau (1986) began his fine arts studies at the Düsseldorf Art Academy with Prof. Richard Deacon in 2008. In 2011 he completed a guest semester at HfBK Dresden with Prof. Monika Brandmeier. In 2015 he completed his studies in Düsseldorf as a „Meisterschüler“ of Prof. Richard Deacon.
His works in wood and on canvas mostly portray simple everyday objects and naïve fantasies. The works always have a high recognition value. At the same time, however, they are richly contrasted and brightly coloured, abstracted and overstaged in clear lines and surfaces, and suggest an ironic and seemingly carefree approach to the concept of art and its elitist amplifications. As a consequence, it is particularly the supposedly "small" and "trivial" aspects of life that are restaged.
Cornelius Grau has had numerous exhibitions at home and occasionally internationally. His works have been shown in Düsseldorf, Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, Berlin, Amsterdam, Hude, Wilhelmshaven, Dessau, Dortmund, Bochum, Recklinghausen, Kiel, Weimar, Dresden and Pärnu (Estonia).