PROFILE

Born Gyula Visnyei on February 22, 1950 in Budapest, Hungary, his boyhood days were spent in dismal poverty. Like a “gem in the rough”, this youth’s body, mind and soul, however, were “rich” with valuable qualities just waiting to be discovered.

At the age of 18, to his unsuspecting family’s great dismay, Juli challenged “fate”, making a daring escape from the depths of Communist oppression by impulsively defecting from his homeland (to which he would not return for twenty (20) years due to the threat of imprisonment). With nothing more than the clothes on his back, not speaking a word of English, this well-read young man with a vivid imagination, passion for adventure, ambition and ingenuity, made his way to AMERICA (“The Land of Golden Opportunities”).

In spite of all the setbacks along the way, a determined Juli clung to his aspirations of playing pro soccer. He made the long, arduous up-hill journey, to become a celebrity athlete, in stride. Juli achieved notoriety for his brilliance on the field while playing for prominent First Division teams in France and Belgium. He went on to become one of the most prolific players of all times, securing contracts with THE LOS ANGELES AZTECS, THE SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES, THE NEW YORK ARROWS and THE LAS VEGAS AMERICANS. Juli, whose name is synonymous with “winning” soccer, was hailed: “Veee for Victory”. Pinnacles in Juli’s athletic career include having signed a contract with THE LOS ANGELES RAMS football club as a field goal kicker (although he never actually played for the club); and substituting for the world-renown Pele in the Bi-Centennial All-Star Game. Juli is best known for his tenure with THE SAN DIEGO SOCKERS where he established himself as the epitome of indoor soccer with an impressive record-laden career. Juli spearheaded the team to victory, winning five (5) championships; he received “Most Valuable Player of the Year” accolades, three (3) times, and has a plethora of individual scoring records, several of which still stand today. In deference to Juli’s legendary scoring and game-winning abilities, his player number (22) and jersey were retired (twice) and displayed in places of honor at THE SAN DIEGO SPORTS ARENA and THE SAN DIEGO HALL OF CHAMPIONS. Furthermore, on February 12, 1997, Juli Veee became the first soccer player, in local history, to be inducted into San Diego’s BREITBARD HALL OF FAME.

The sun set on Juli’s professional playing days when he retired from soccer in 1988. With his illustrious career behind him, the highly acclaimed: “Double Deuce, Triple E, the One and Only, JULI VEEE!” would turn the tables on “fate” once more by making the difficult and painstaking transition from athlete to professional artist. Juli began dabbling in art in 1983 purely for pleasure. Thanks to the encouragement and support of loved ones, Juli now aspires to make his distinct “mark” on the “Art World”, rivaling the great masters. A man of many interests, Juli’s diversity is reflected in his portfolio which includes a vast array of contemporary, abstract, 3-dimensional and Southwestern art. Additionally, Juli is one of the few artists who possesses the skills to mass-produce his own images, namely in the form of handcrafted, gallery-quality, limited edition serigraphs. He has also pioneered a new technique, which combines photography with serigraphy with impressive results.

Juli has had several successful shows in the Southwest region including a one-man show at THE ART COLLECTOR GALLERY in San Diego’s OLD TOWN, exhibitions at DYANSEN GALLERY on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California, THE DOLONA ROBERTS GALLERY in Santa Fe, New Mexico, THE SADLER FINE ARTS GALLERY in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, THE ART LOFT in Del Mar, THE SERAFINA GALLERY in San Diego’s Old Town, at GLEZ & HARKIN GALLERIES in La Jolla and Palm Springs, at THE FAITH NIGHTINGALE GALLERY in downtown San Diego and at SAKS FIFTH AVENUE in La Jolla and Mission Valley, California. Some of Juli’s works are in the permanent collections of THE COPLEY LIBRARY in La Jolla, THE SAN DIEGO HALL OF CHAMPIONS at BALBOA PARK and THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

To his list of credits, Juli adds being designated by WORLD CUP USA 1994, the “Official Artist” for “SOCCERFEST” (the ultimate, interactive soccer exposition). This colorful, multi-talented soccer phenomenon-turned-professional artist was inspired to create a dazzling collection of “Sports Art” spotlighting full-color, action-packed soccer images designed especially for this spectacular event. Having represented both the United States and his native Hungary as a “National Team” player, Juli possesses unprecedented artistic insight into the arena of international soccer competition, making “his” a truly meaningful and appropriate contribution.