: His large-scale oil paintings of trout—often portrayed in brilliant, specific detail—signify how species adapt to their specific habitats.

While his artwork resides in over 20 museum collections—including the Brooklyn Museum and the Albright-Knox—Rey is equally respected in the angling community. In 2021, he was named the . Alberto Rey on Scene Unseen Blog

Born in Havana, Cuba, in 1960, Rey’s journey was shaped by displacement. His family received political asylum and moved to Miami in 1965 before eventually settling in the coal-mining town of Barnesboro, Pennsylvania. This early history of migration and bicultural identity fueled his early abstract work, which grappled with "layered memories of Cuban iconography" and American life.