Karla Star

I am a Florida based painter and illustrator. I have lived much of my life in two different worlds. While I’ve spent the last twenty years as a professional graphic designer, I’ve been at the easel since I was nine years old, honing my craft in oils and acrylics.

My process is a translation from the virtual to the physical. Every piece begins as a complete digital artwork, where I use my design expertise to map out composition, movement and contrast before my brush touches the canvas. I then transition to the canvas where I work to preserve the sharp, "vector-like" shapes while infusing them with the soul, texture, and depth of traditional painting.

My aesthetic is a cultural mashup. I am influenced heavily by the minimalist clarity of illustrators Ryo Takemasa and Hiroshi Nagai as well as the tropical spirit of Paul Gauguin, all filtered through my time spent in Sicily, Tokyo, Seoul, and Miami. After decades of defining the visual identities of others, this work is my way of reclaiming my own vision—bright, wild, and unapologetic.

I invite viewers into a world where technical discipline meets the vibrant emotive pulse of modern Pop Art. It’s a world where a designer’s keen eye meets a painter’s soul, resulting in high-contrast...