Christina Varga (b. 1971, Milwaukee, WI) is a self-taught visionary artist based in the Hudson Valley. Her work blends diverse materials—including upcycled and discarded objects, vintage ephemera, holographic mylar, tissue paper, and mixed media such as paint pens, pastels, acrylic, and oil paints. Varga’s vivid, layered compositions explore pop culture, interdimensional patterns, and repeated pixelated motifs.
In 2003, Varga founded VARGA Gallery in Woodstock, New York. For over a decade, she showcased an eclectic roster of cutting-edge artists, curating hundreds of exhibitions and producing the weekly cable access show Apocalypse VARGA—a bold, experimental variety program spotlighting artists, musicians, speakers, and creatives. The show, described as a “visual concoction of transitions, video effects, and improvisation,” reached an international audience via live webcasts during its five-year run.
Her artwork has been exhibited at the American Visionary Art Museum’s 13th mega-exhibit All Faiths Beautiful, The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, and Kunsttiendaagse in Bergen, North Holland. Her pieces are in the collections of Uma Thurman, Grace Potter, Dweezil Zappa, Kate Pierson, and Dave Wakeling. Varga’s work has appeared in The Sufi Journal, Resurgence Magazine, The New York Times, and more. Her piece Golden Mosaic Buddha was featured on the cover of Chronogram Magazine (December 2006).
In 2023, she launched The Phoenicia Festival of the Arts, a town-wide celebration of creativity held each August in Phoenicia, NY. The festival spans Main Street with a vibrant market for artists and artisans, family-friendly events, and performances that promote diversity and cultural richness in the Catskills and Hudson Valley.
Varga lives and works in Phoenicia, NY, where her studio at 60 Main Street is a fusion of art, gardening, and motherhood. She is a proud mother of two and a self-proclaimed Art/Garden/Life-ist.
As a self-taught artist, Varga brings an intuitive, process-driven approach to art-making, rooted in curiosity, experimentation, and a reverence for the overlooked and discarded. Her creative practice centers around the transformation of found, foraged, and upcycled materials into vibrant, meaningful works of art. In her workshops, she invites participants to explore their own innate creativity using humble materials—encouraging personal expression, environmental awareness, and the joy of making something from nothing. Whether you're an experienced artist or a curious beginner, Varga’s workshops offer an inspiring, hands-on journey into the limitless possibilities of found object art.