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(b. San Antonio, Texas, 1961; lives and works in New York City). A Tejano of Mexican American and Italian parentage, Franco Mondini-Ruiz, who decided to abandon a successful career as a lawyer to devote all his time to art, belongs to a generation of Latino artists concerned with cultural identity but do not make it the predominant theme of their work. In the mid-1990s, Mondini-Ruiz purchased a botánica in an old Mexican-American barrio in San Antonio, Texas, that catered to folk-healing practices such as curanderismo and santería. Via his storefront "Infinito Botánica and Gift Shop," he continued to offer objects and advice that blend different spiritual trends with Catholic religiosity. At the same time he transformed the space into a boutique, art gallery, and salon — offering an array of products used for spiritual cleansing and folk medicine alongside folk art, antiques, and art from Texan and Mexican artists. Mondini-Ruiz has since closed his shop, but since 1997
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