For more than 50 years, art enthusiasts from all over Texas have flocked to Houston’s biannual Bayou City Art Festival, a fine art festival produced by The Art Colony Association, Inc. Held in October and March of each year, each festival highlights a Featured Artist, including this season’s Chicago-based artist Karina Llergo.
Llergo was born and raised in Mexico City, where she received her bachelor’s degree in graphic design and advanced degrees in multimedia, animation, and abstract art. She studied with famed Mexican artist Roberto Cortazar and portraitist Enrique Estrada, who both saw her talent and strongly encouraged her to continue her artistic journey.
While keeping art at the forefront of her mind and heart, Llergo enjoyed a highly successful corporate career as art director for Mexico City’s top newspaper, Reforma, and at the illustrious advertising agency McCann Erickson. Among the many campaigns she helped create, some of her most memorable were for clients such as Coca-Cola, Revlon, and Kimberly-Clark.
Throughout her professional life, Llergo painted and continued to work on developing her unique style. She admits that the most significant influence on her artwork has been her lifelong commitment to being involved in sports and dance. Llergo is a dancer, competitive swimmer, and avid skydiver. She has also participated in extreme sports and found a passion for yoga later in life. Each of these activities inspired her to depict the human body in motion. Over the years, Llergo found a way to translate her observations and creative imagination into thought-provoking paintings.
When Lergo was relocated to Chicago with her husband and four children, she made the bold decision to transition to art full-time. She had always dreamed of working as an artist, and the move allowed her to dedicate herself to the world of art.
“I have always maintained a passion for the human form, and figurative painting has been my primary focus since childhood,” says the artist. “Witnessing the figures take shape as I apply layers of paint never fails to amaze me.”
Llergo primarily uses oil paints and has recently incorporated inks in her underpaintings and oil glazings to add color and create forms. The artist also applies acrylic impasto with pallet knives and molds it with her fingers to create depth and a 3D effect on specific areas of her paintings. To create a luminous effect in her artwork, she uses a 24K gold gilding technique.
“My goal is for people to not only view my art and get a sense of its vitality but also to be moved to generate positivity in their own lives.”
Since 2007, Llergo’s work has received high praise and has been showcased in exhibitions and festivals nationwide. Among her many accolades, Llergo has received numerous Outstanding Achievement and Best In Show awards at distinguished art shows throughout the United States.
According to Llergo, the Bayou City Arts Festival is one of her favorite shows because it was one of the first festivals she participated in. The Texas-sized hospitality has kept her coming back for years, and being chosen as the featured artist for the 2024 Spring Festival “is a moment of celebration that inspires me to keep pushing boundaries.”
For those who didn’t get to see Llergo’s art in person at the last Bayou City Arts Festival, it is available online at karinallergoart.com.
“I have always maintained a passion for the human form, and figurative painting has been my primary focus since childhood. Witnessing the figures take shape as I apply layers of paint never fails to amaze me.”
