Architecture, art and theater are three prongs in the creative mind of Conrado Contreras, whose exhibit “Art for the Office, Living Room and WC” is hanging on the second floor at the Centro Cultural de Ajijic (CCA) through March 1.
The show is made up of 30 recent works that include pen and ink drawings, watercolors and acrylic paintings, all priced to sell. Subject matter ranges from local landscapes and human figures to pre-Hispanic motifs and abstracts.
Born in Mexico City in 1940, Contreras earned his degree in architecture at the Universidad Autónoma de Mexico (UNAM). In 1975, he set down roots in Chapala with his wife, author and teacher Zaida Cristina Reynoso, and the couple’s two young children. Since then, he has devoted his talents to designing and building private homes, mounting theatrical productions with local amateur thespians and picture framing, in addition to cranking out sketches and paintings.
Early on he collaborated with former Ajijic resident Katie Goodridge Ingram, helping her connect with craftsmen in Tlaquepaque to supply high quality merchandise to Mi México, the family home she turned into a leading village boutique. Contreras began showing paintings at group exhibits that Ingram organized at various lakeside venues prior to opening her Galeria del Lago, Ajijic’s first art gallery, located in the building that now houses Donas Doughnuts.
Asked about the forces that drive him, Contreras says, “Inspiration doesn’t exist. You either work or you don’t work. When I’m painting, I give it my all.” The same philosophy and equal passion applies whether he’s engaged in drawing up architectural plans or putting on a play.
With completion of the collection displayed at CCA now behind him, Contreras is currently working on preliminary sketches for a series off-beat illustrations for Alice in Wonderland stories. He is also planning to produce a new stage drama before the year is out.