Alicia was born in Santiago Chile, she studied drawing and painting from the age of thirteen. The urban escapes and the dynamic city people’s life were essential in the development of a socially-oriented consciousness that influenced and guided her artistic trajectory. She graduated from The Metropolitan University of Chile where she received her Master’s in Visual Communication. Soon later she moved to Italy where she spent fifteen years, studying Art history, Oil painting, and Sculpture. While in Italy, she had the privilege to hold several solo and group shows along with recognized Italian artists. Her traveling European experience improved her pictorial technique and deepened her understanding of the positive impact of art in our society, with this knowledge she started a new educational path, founding the Mates Art and Design Studio, where she taught drawing, Oil/Acrylic painting, and sculpture fundamentals. While in Philadelphia she becomes a member of the 3rd Street Gallery. For the past nine years, where she hold solo and group shows along with many other local artists. In 2017, she had the honor to participate in the important " Capturing Realism” Biennale held at Misericordia University in Dallas, Pennsylvania. Currently, she is working at The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts as School and Community Programs Manager and Adjunct Faculty for the Continuing Education department, where she teaches Expressive Acrylic Painting, Photorealism Painting, and Drawings Fundamentals courses for adult students. Moreover, she teaches Drawing Fundamentals and Basic Drawing to adult students at Fleisher Art Memorial.

The role of Art educators in our society is becoming more important through time. Alicia’s purpose as an educator is to provide skill-based learning to deepen the perception of the surroundings and provide tools to transfer that knowledge to the artwork. She believes that self-expression and creativity can be enhanced through learning effective art techniques and art philosophy. This idea aligns with current scientific research that other educators currently embrace and broadens the choices students can make when creating their own artwork. By learning art history, art philosophy, solid draftsmanship, color theory, paint handling skills, and perspective; students can expand their artistic toolbox and build up their own personal communication and painting.