Alexandra Nechita Biography

In 1985, as the sun set on the careers of the 20th Century's Masters, the art world was delivered a "Gift" in the name of Alexandra Nechita. The media labelled her the "Petite Picasso" due to definite stylistic similarities to the 20th Century's greatest artist. Museum curators proclaimed her perhaps the greatest artist of the coming century.

Alexandra first exploded onto the scene at the age of nine. Her talent was instantly recognized as capacity crowds came to see her often-monumental paintings. Art critics and the media began telling the world about this rarest of child prodigies, a master of drawing and color, an artist who has a visual language of her own. Alexandra’s work has been displayed through out the world, including exhibitions in Romania, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Italy, France, England, Singapore, Japan and New Zealand. Her art is in the collections of dozens of museums worldwide, including the Vatican Collection in Rome, the Imperial Collection in Tokyo and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Alexandra’s work is also in the private collections of dozens of celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, Steve Wynn, Debra Messing, Calvin Klein, Whoopi Golberg and David Letterman.

In April 2004, Teen People called Alexandra Nechita, “One of 20 Teens Who Will Change the World!” If the artists‘ recent accomplishments are any indication, Teen People couldn’t have been more right. A Fine Arts graduate from UCLA, Nechita seems more determined than ever to use her artistic gift to promote a message of peace. In 2005, Nechita’s designs were chosen for a set of legal tender commemorative coins entitled, “Peace Is the Only Option!” Struck in pure gold, silver and platinum, the designs were specially approved by Queen Elizabeth II, whose effigy also adorns the coins. In June 2005, Nechita presented her massive 16- foot tall bronze monument entitled “Let There Be Peace” to the people of Singapore. Nechita is creating seven monuments in all, one for each continent on Earth. Nechita was named Official Artist of the 2004 World Peace Music Awards. Alexandra’s latest book, Hands and Dove, which came out in the fall of 2005, contains essays about her art by world renowned art historians, a narrative by the artist, herself, and photos of her paintings, drawings, sculpture and glass works. The forward is by Larry King.

Her Story:

Alexandra Nechita was born in Romania in 1985. She began drawing at the age of two. At seven, Alexandra was painting with oils and acrylics and her first exhibition was a one-woman (child) show held at a Los Angeles Public Library when she was just eight years old. Alexandra’s talent was instantly recognized as crowds came to see her amazing and often monumental paintings. She attracted the attention of art critics and the media who began telling the world about this rarest of child prodigies - an artist who had mastered drawing and color, an artist who had created a visual language of her own, in a unique, lyrical, figurative, abstract manner. Since then, her works have a developed artistic personality and are highly sophisticated and fully alive to the nuances and possibilities of her medium. She has had exhibitions worldwide and continues to actively pursuer her artistic endeavors.

In November of 1999, Alexandra was selected by the World Federation of United Nations to lead a Global Arts Initiative involving more than 100 Nations. She was at this time given the honorary title of Ambassador of Peace and Goodwill through the Arts from the UN. She is an active advocate of the arts as a mode of communication and supports art in schools as a tool for expression. She is very dedicated to working to increase the opportunity for peaceful conflict resolution and displace the power of violence in our society, through peace-building. Alexandra graduated from UCLA in 2008 with a degree in Fine Arts and currently lives in Los Angeles.

Museums:

Petit Palais Museum, Geneva, Switzerland
Tennessee State Museum, Nashville, Tennessee
Lowe Art Museum, Coral Gables, Florida
Bowers Museum, Santa Ana, California
Alexander Brest Museum, Jacksonville, Florida
The Special Olympics Collection, Washington, D.C.
Embassies: London, The Hague, Rome, Paris, Geneva
Downey Museum of Art, Downey, California
Imperial Collection, His Majesty Emperor Akihito, Tokyo
Florida International University Art Museum, Miami, Florida
International Children's Art Museum, Geneva
Museum of Contemporary Art, Lake Worth, Florida
National Academy of Recording Arts & Science, Los Angeles, California
Pensacola Museum of Art, Pensacola, Florida
Coral Springs Museum of Art, Florida
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, Ohio
Vatican Collection, Rome
National Museum of Art, Romania

Selected Commissions:

Andre Agassi Foundation: "From My Heart to Your Heart"
Official Artist, 39th Annual Grammy Awards:
"Because You Love What You Do, " New York
Polaroid Corporation, 50thAnniversary Celebration:
"Portrait of America" Cambridge, MA
Siam Yamaha Corporation, "All for One, One for All"
Special Olympics: "Winning Together, " Washington, D.C.
Frank Sinatra Foundation
City of Kobe, Japan
Community of Angels, Los Angeles, California

Selected Public Exhibitions:

2000 – Heal the World Institute, Tokyo

2000 - National Museum of Art, Romania

2000 - Cotroceni Palace Museum, Bucharest

2000 - Imagination Celebration, Texas

2000 - Coral Springs Museum of Art, Coral Springs, Florida

1999 - Tennessee State Museum, Nashville, Tennessee

1998 - Canton Museum of Fine Art, Ohio

1994-1999 - Solo exhibitions, Switzerland, Netherlands, Italy, France, England, Australia, Singapore, Japan, New Zealand

1994 - Mary Paxton Gallery, Los Angeles, California

1994 – Los Angeles Public Library

Honors and Awards:

“Outstanding Artist of the Year: Painting”, NuBreed Synergy of the Arts Lincoln Center, New York, 1997

“The Most Fascinating Women of the Year”, CBS TV, New York, 1999

“Outstanding Young Person Award”, Osaka, Japan, 1997

“UNICEF Gift of Songs”, New York, 1998

“Gold Key”, Van Gogh Institute, France, 1999

“Light of the Future” Imagination Celebration, NEA, NASA, 2000

“Woman of the Year” American Red Cross, 1996

“Geniuses” Arts & Entertainment Network

“Special Olympics Award,” 1997/98

“Lifetime Achievement” FOX TV, 2000

“Alexandra Nechita Elementary School” Vaslui, Romania, 2001

“Little Dreams Foundation” Geneva, Switzerland, 2002

“Children’s Friendship Award” Starlight Children’s Foundation, 2002

“Introduction to President George W. Bush“ Operation Hope Anniversary, 2002

“Alexandra Nechita Center For The Arts“ Lutheran High School of Orange County, 2003

“National Cross Faithful Service” First Class Award, Romania, 2004

“20 Teens Who Will Change the World” Teen People Magazine – April 2004

Billie Jeans “Women’s Sports Foundation”-2008

“Peace Builders” Award- Western Justice center-2008

T.E.D. Bucharest Romania- Speech delivered

“Create Self” - 2009

Books:

Outside the Lines, Longstreet Press, Atlanta, 1996
Alexandra Nechita: Child Prodigy, Painter with Heart and Soul, 1998, Paris
Alexandra Nechita, APT International, Tokyo, Japan
Nechita, Romanian Cultural Foundation, Bucharest

Selected Media:

- Esquire
- ART news
- Life
- People
- Art & Antiques
- Newsweek
- Art & Auction
- Vanity Fair
- BBC
- CBS
- CNN
- EI
- FOX

- MTV
- NBC
- NPR
- NIPON
- TF-1
- 20/20
- CBS Sunday Morning
- Chicago Tribune
- Los Angeles Times
- New York Post
- USA Today
- Washington Times
- Black Book

- Charlesbridge World
- Cronache Italiana
- De Telegraf
- Elle Germany
- Gala
- Le Monde Paris
- National Geographic
- World
- Paris Match
- Sunday
- Times London