In the course of Jordi Bonet’s short life, he created over 2000 works of art. He has created some of the most extraordinary paintings, murals, and sculptures. Has worked with all kinds of materials: paper, wood, ceramic, stained glass, concrete, bronze, and aluminum. His love for art began when he was just 4 years old and by the age of 9 he was presenting his drawings to his family.
Jordi Bonet had said that art should be accessible to everyone. And so his work can be seen in the metro, churches, schools, hospitals, libraries, banks, companies, theaters, hotels, apartments, city halls, museums, and private homes. Two of the most famous private homes are Guy Laliberte’s, founder of the Cirque du Soleil, and the late King Fahad’s Palace in Saudi Arabia.
Upon arriving in Canada, some of his early work was religious art and we can see them in many churches across Canada and the United States. Of those splendid works, there is the stained glass he created for Our Lady of the Skies Chapel at the John F. Kennedy’s airport. Its size and magnificent colors remind’s one of the great glass windows in churches across Europe. Another stained glass windows of importance is at the United Nation’s building in New York.
Jordi Bonet did an exterior mural in 1964 for Sierra Leon’s pavilion, represented at the New York World’s Fair of the same year. Canada was absent from that fair. This pavilion and mural went back to Sierra Leon and was made into a permanent exhibition hall. Three years later, Jordi Bonet was one of the many artist involved in Montreal’s Expo 67, his sculptures of fragmented figures where seen at the Place des Nations. The scene where special events including official, popular and cultural celebrations were held. Today these sculptures could be seen at the Laval University in Quebec city. Also at Laval University we can admire an incredible mural outside the science pavilion, its dimension of 27m x 11m, is made of ceramic tiles of 20cm x 40cm.
In 1964 in Carillon, Quebec, he created a magnificent necropolis monument of 18 concrete monoliths, representing Adam Dollard des Ormeaux, 17 of his soldiers and Hurons who died at the hands of the Iroquois in 1660. He kept in place the headstones of the dead, which were found in the XVIII century at the site, and used them as an accent to his monument. In 1966 he created for the Halifax North.
End Library another monument, this one to pay tribute to those who died in the Halifax Explosion of 1917 that devastated that city. This monument has been taken down and is being restored.
The Charleston National Bank in Washington D.C has a wonderful mural he created. It wraps itself around an immense pillar as a background for the tellers, and its a front view for the customers. Others as wonderful are in Suffolk Franklin Bank in Boston and the Trade Bank and Trust co. in New York.
Then there is his 1967 wonderfully colored ceramic mural at the Charles S.Curtis Hospital in Newfoundland. Here he depicts the Inuit in their daily lives. Another of great importance is the mural he created as an homage to his father. Which is at the London University in Ontario.
The amazing ceramic mural at Queen’s Park Complex in Toronto. The stunning mural at the Pie IX metro in Montreal. All of these can be seen by anyone walking through buildings or walking outside.
Here in Montreal, is the eight tympanums in ceramic which he created in 1963 for the Place des Arts Theater. His majestic and most controversial work was the mural of Le Grand Théâtre de Québec. Three immense walls that scream out at the just and unjust world of men. A story of Death, Space, and Liberty written in concrete.
After the knowledge of his illness in 1973, Jordi Bonet faced one’s innermost self with courage. He resolved to bring every thought, emotion, and motive to light. In search of his answer, he created a box set of seven serigraphs called Etre Conscient and his soul searching work of 240 mixed media for the Livre de Naissance.
Jordi Bonet created many inspiring works of art. Amazing how much more he could have accomplished, if he would have been given a few more years.