If one had to sum up the art of Alejandro Mondria in a short phrase or soundbite in today’s vernacular, then seeking the infinity of innocence, might at least come close, and examining the beginnings of the eternal might come even closer . The artist may sometimes have over thirty layers of paint on a canvas, and his pursuit, however it’s described, is also multi layered in a combined effort of building up while also scraping away. He sometimes reworks paintings several times in the pursuit of the universal visual truth that he’s seeking, and sometimes the ghost of the former image might be allowed to reveal its ethereal presence as part of the new image. Yet within this specific focus towards the eternal, Mondria covers a great deal of ground in exploring diverse scenes and subjects with a variety of techniques in formats that range from small to huge.

Although water and its interplay with light have inspired Mondria to produce many paintings over the years in blues and sunset reds, and it still does, white has become an important part of his newest work. A series of works on paper entitled, “White on White: Space in White” shows only the faintest appearance of the female nudes portrayed, but the effect seems to actually magnify the eroticism of the paintings. Eroticism is something that is a recurring thread in the Mondria's work, but also the more general theme of family and parental love and affection are part of the larger tapestry that might be considered to be Mondria’s body of work. One such painting entitled “El Padre” shows a large white tree behind a repetitive foreground of blue, brown and white circles and lines that seem to actually emphasize the paternal symbol of the tree while ostensibly obscuring it. Other paintings that are very colorful have an element of white that eminates from under the reds and yellows or shades of blues and goes beyond being a unifying element to become the essence of the image. Still other paintings that are in dark colors might be said to emphasize white through it’s absence.

Today, Mondria has built up a large following in the Puerto Vallarta area. He spent several years living on Litibu Beach near Punta Mita, and the sea represented such a vital force in his life that his last exhibit was entitled, "Marea" or "The Tides." Recently, however, he was made on offer on his beachfront home that he just couldn't refuse, and it precipitated a move to the mountains south of Vallarta where he is now building a new house and studio above a river running through the wooded property. Alejandro and his wife Lizette also became parents of a second son, aptly named Marino (sailor.) Will we be seeing paintings of the forest soon? Well, at least a couple of paintings of trees will be included, and water, light and air will be interpreted in various ways. However, the sea and beach will also continue to be focuses, with the largest painting portraying a coastal sunset. Yet, one senses that regardless of the obvious specific focus, the artist is really dealing with his love and respect of nature while exploring and understanding the balance between family life and solitude.

The artist's special talent seems to be the way he focuses light as a point of emphasis, regardless of the subject matter. His natural talents and considerable training and education have given him the technical ability to portray many subjects in many ways, but his focus has always emphasized the internal while ostensibly portraying the external.

Mondria is a graduate of the world famous Rhode Island School of Design, which included a two year fellowship at an honors program at an affiliated institute, Plaza Cenzi, in Rome, Italy. He has had a solo exhibition in a major museum in Mexico City, El Museo del Chopo, which is in a building designed by Gustav Eiffel, creator of the famous tower in the same name in Paris. Alejandro has exhibited his paintings in galleries in the United States and Cuba as well as in Mexico.