Born in Chelm, Poland, Mondzain studied art in Warsaw and then at the Fine Arts Academy in Cracow. He participated in national art exhibitions and obtained a grant to travel to Paris in 1909-11, where he met the painters Dunoyer de Segonzac and Derain. He moved to Paris the following year, joining his childhood friend Moise Kisling. He obtained French citizenship in 1923 and that same year became a founding member of the Salon des Tuileries. During the 1920s he travelled around France, painting particularly in the south. Mondzain went to Algeria in 1925, returning there frequently and settled in Algiers during World War II. He remained in North Africa until 1963 when he moved back to Paris for good.