Young Artist Alexandra Nechita

Alexandra Nechita is one of the most highly recognized artists alive today. That's quite an accomplishment for one who is just 21 years old. Alexandra's journey to where she is today takes on a storybook aura. Alexandra's father, Niki, fled Communist Romania for the United States, leaving his wife, Viorica, who was 6 months pregnant with Alexandra, behind. After arriving in the States, Niki began his struggle to make a home for his family in a new country. After almost two years, Niki was reunited with Viorica and met his baby girl, now 1-1/2, for the first time in Los Angeles, California.

Even at age 2, Alexandra was absorbed with her coloring books. Worried that their daughter was becoming too isolated, Alexandra's parents stopped buying her coloring books, hoping she would jump rope and play more with her dolls and friends. Niki and Viorica say taking away those coloring books was like taking the oxygen out of her. Alexandra began to draw and color her own figures on scrap computer paper her mother would bring home from work. It was by age 4 that Alexandra's parents noticed her abstract style.

As a preschooler, Alexandra began using watercolors and another water-based paint called gouache. By the age of 6, Alexandra was introduced to oil paints and acrylics and she could not let them go. Soon she began asking for larger and larger canvases.

Alexandra's first art exhibit came in 1994 at a community library when she was only 8 years old. This was an historical day for Alexandra, as she also became an American citizen, was told she would soon be a big sister, and saw the abstract work of Pablo Picasso for the first time. In the spring of 1995, Alexandra's career was on the verge of taking off as she was discovered by Ben Valenty and soon became the youngest artist to sign with IAP. By the age of 9, Alexandra had several more exhibitions in the Los Angeles area displaying more than 250 paintings.

The national and international press couldn't get enough of the child prodigy. Alexandra's unusual talent, heart as big as her canvases and charismatic personality were almost too good to be true. Alexandra has appeared on countless programs around the world, including NBC's Today, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Rosie ODonnell Show, and NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw. Alexandra's list of accomplishments speaks for itself. Her commissions include the 39th Annual GRAMMY Awards, Polaroid for its 50th Anniversary and the Andre Agassi Foundation. Alexandra has had several solo exhibits all over the world.

Alexandra is very casual about her extraordinary gift for painting. Other kids in her class are very talented, she says, and mentions a friend who draws cartoons. However, what separates her, she believes, is her steady, hard work to develop her skills to most fully express herself.

"I'm just a normal child. I go to school, I come back, I start painting. Some just go outside, some skateboard, go play tennis, play Ping-Pong, or whatever they want to do. But this is what I choose to do." — Alexandra Nechita

Much has been written and said to describe this phenomenal artist, but Academy Award winner Whoopi Goldberg may have explained Alexandra the best in just one sentence:

"The thumbprint of the Great One is on her."

This article is taken from IAPART.