PORTFOLIO
WATERCOLOR ART
BY CRISTOPHER MENDEZ
ARTIST STATEMENT
Cristopher’s work centers on life, death, and what remains after both. His large-scale watercolor paintings bring together skeletal figures, animals, and ornamental elements in scenes that feel both intimate and symbolic.
He began working at this scale during the 2020 lockdown in Spain, a period marked by distance, uncertainty, and separation from family and loved ones. In that time of stillness, the skeleton emerged as a central figure in his work — not as a symbol of death, but as a universal form. Stripped of identity, it became a way to speak about connection, vulnerability, and permanence beyond the physical body.
He works exclusively with liquid watercolor and pigment liners on large sheets of paper. What draws him to the medium is its honesty — the stain cannot be erased, the gesture cannot be undone. Each piece is built through control and risk at the same time.
At a moment when much of contemporary visual culture is created digitally, Cristopher remains committed to hand-painted work. Pigment, paper, and physical presence are central to his process.
His paintings balance structure and emotion — bold lines contain fluid color, and carefully composed spaces hold deeply personal narratives.
BIOGRAPHY
Cristopher was born in Santiago, Chile, and is currently based in Valencia, Spain.
He originally trained in technical and architectural drawing, developing a strong understanding of structure and composition. Over time, he built an international career within tattoo culture, refining a distinctive visual style known for bold linework and saturated color.
In 2015, he founded Morning Glory Tattoo & Gallery in Valencia, directing the studio for nine years while participating in international conventions and exhibitions across Europe.
In 2022, his painting practice began to take on a more prominent international role. Since then, the majority of his large-scale watercolor works have been created as official artworks for international tattoo conventions. To date, he has painted 18 convention posters for events across Europe and Latin America.
In 2023, he presented his first major solo watercolor exhibition, From Paper to Skin, featuring 100 works produced over eight years.
In 2024, he closed his studio to focus fully on painting and international projects.
In 2025, he released his first monographic publication, Pura Vida, a bilingual A3 hardback book featuring more than 100 paintings from the past decade.
He began 2026 with an exhibition of 20 paintings at the prestigious Mondial du Tatuoage in Paris.
He currently works between Valencia and international projects.
WATERCOLOR PAINTINGS
 THE LOVERS, 2020The Lovers was the first large scale watercolor Cristopher painted during the Covid lockdown in 2020. Watercolor and pigment liner on Canson paper 100x70cm. |  TOGETHER FOREVER, 2020Painted during the Covid lockdown in 2020. Watercolor and pigment liner on Canson paper 100x70cm. |
|---|---|
 KITSUNE LOVE, 2021Watercolor and pigment liner on Canson paper 77x57cm. |  THE REBIRTH, 2022Poster for the Bógota Expo Tatuaje 2025 (postponed for Covid). Watercolor and pigment liner on Canson paper 100x70cm. |
 BEST FRIENDS, 2023Originally painted for the Miami Tattoo Convention, although for specific reasons it wasn’t used. Watercolor and pigment liner on Canson paper 100x70cm. |  GREAT KISKADEE, 2023Poster for the Medellin Expo Tatuaje 2024. Watercolor and pigment liner on Canson paper 100x70cm. |
 MARY JANE, 2024Poster for the Medellin Expo Tatuaje 2025. Watercolor and pigment liner on Canson paper 100x70cm. |  FOXY LADY, 2024Poster for the Rouen Tattoo Festival 2025. Watercolor and pigment liner on Canson paper 100x70cm. |
 THE BIRTH, 2025Poster for the Dark Tattoo Festival Bógota 2025. Watercolor and pigment liner on Canson paper 100x70cm. |  LA RANITA VALIENTE, 2025Poster for the Kerry International Tattoo Convention 2026. Watercolor and pigment liner on Canson paper 100x70cm. |
 THE WAWEL DRAGON OF KRAKOW, 2025Poster for the Tattoofest Krakow Tattoo Convention 2026. Watercolor and pigment liner on Canson paper 100x70cm. |
BOOK "PURA VIDA"
Pura Vida is Cristopher Méndez’s first monograph, bringing together over 100 paintings created during the past ten years.
The book is presented as a large-format A3 hardback edition with a gold-stamped cover and 128 full-color pages printed on GardaPat Kiara 150g paper. The text is bilingual, in English and Spanish.
Designed as a coffee-table collector’s edition, Pura Vida documents a decade of artistic development and marks a turning point toward painting as his primary focus.
CONTACT
EMAIL: cristophermendezart@gmail.com
INSTAGRAM: @cristopher_mendez_alfaro
See more of his work here.