Born in Sweden on April 20, 1893. In 1912 Gren (né Ahgren) sailed for Australia and intended to stay for only a short while. However, due to WWI, it became necessary for him to remain in Sydney. Around 1919 he immigrated to the U.S. and spent his first few years in NYC where he worked as a designer for a pattern manufacturer. By 1925 he had moved to southern California where he studied art with Stanton MacDonald-Wright. He lived in Los Angeles for only a few years before making his final move to San Francisco in the late 1920’s. About 1930 he destroyed all of his earlier paintings; any works now extant are those done during the 1930’s. During that period he produced lithographs for the WPA. Gren was active in San Francisco until his death on Aug. 6, 1940. His oils are mostly still lifes, a few landscapes, and scenes of San Francisco. Exh: Painters & Sculptors of LA, 1926; Modern Art Society of LA, 1926; SFAA, 1928-29; Paul Elder Gallery (SF), 1932 (solo); Oakland Art Gallery, 1932, 1934; Calif. State Fairs, 1930s; SFMA Inaugural, 1935, 1939 (solo); GGIE, 1939. In: Mission High School, SF (mural); Smithsonian Inst.; Oakland Museum.
