Christina Varga came to New York City in the mid-nineties with degrees in Journalism and Communication and creatively applied her education at high-profile media and production companies including Miramax Films, MTV Networks, Viacom New Media, The New York Times and Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises. Her first solo art exhibitions were in trendy nightclubs and shops in Soho, Tribeca and the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Publicity, promotion and press proved integral to her pursuits - and she successfully organized exhibitions in city theaters, restaurants, and non-profit spaces.


Photo of Christina Varga in her studio in Woodstock by Franco Vogt

In 1999 Varga began a work which transformed three doors into life-sized neo-Byzantine depictions of Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed (pbuh). The Triptych pays homage to world religion in oil paint, hand cut wooden mosaics, sand, mica & varnish.



The life-sized depictions of Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed took three years to complete and were displayed for the first time at LadyFest East in 2002. Since its completion in 2001 the work has toured public venues. Bard College exhibited the work during the 2005 Resurgence Conference on Earth & Religion. The triptych was on display for an audience of over 20,000 at The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine during the holiday season's Winter Solstice Concert with Paul Winter and the 2005 World AIDS Day events with singer Roberta Flack and modern dance visionary Bill T. Jones.

The American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland featured the work in the
13th Mega-Exhibit "All Faiths Beautiful: From Atheism to Zoroastrianism, Respect for Diversity of Belief " from October 2007 through September 2008. RAW VISION Magazine states, "Christina Varga's triptych depicting Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed combines stylized church iconography with humble materials to create somber figures that plead for multi-theist reconciliation." (Jack Livingston, RAW Vision Magazine 2008 Issue 62).
It continues to draw interest from around the world and was featuring on the printed materials for the Conference on Art in Religion at the University of Muenster Center for Religious Studies in Muenster, Germany. The fourth work in this neo-Byzantine series depicts The Woman Clothed by the Sun, a biblical figure from the Book of Revelations. This work is in progress since 2002 - see it on this page.

Varga's work pushes the constraints of organized religion and professes a universal appreciation for all living beings transcendent of faith, race, sex, sexual orientation or creed. As testament to her reverence Varga set on one significant task upon moving to Woodstock from NYC - to refurbish a Madonna & Child outdoor sculpture memorial to Byrdcliffe arts colony founder Ralph Radcliffe Whitehead in the Artists' Cemetery. The work had been repeatedly vandalized and was restored by Varga in 2003. Classical Byzantine iconography and mosaic work are large influences in Varga's style and emanate from her Hungarian heritage. Varga's experience as a woman also boldly informs her work, and she produces a line of collages incorporating vintage erotica and iconography called The VARGA Girls. Described as "insouciant digs at post-feminist archetypes of female sexuality", the series boasts broad appeal with collectors ranging from celebrities such as Dweezil Zappa, Kate Pierson and Dave Wakeling (among others)to beginning collectors.



Christina Varga opened the VARGA Gallery in Woodstock in June 2003 and since its inception each show has been conceived, planned, publicized and curated by her as the creative force behind all events at VARGA Gallery. The gallery also serves as her studio, where she continues to create works while curating exhibitions at the gallery and other venues. VARGA Gallery represents works by emerging, visionary and outsider artists.



Her latest creative venture - “Apocalypse VARGA” – an Arts, Culture and Media Variety show – airs each Thursday night on Woodstock's Channel 23 Cable Access and online at www.woodstocktv.org. The show serves as a showcase for artists represented at the VARGA Gallery as well as musicians and speakers and other creative industry professionals. Hosted by Varga, the show is a visual concoction of transitions, video effects and improvisation. The show has been in production since March 2007 and continues to garner an international audience.

Varga's work has appeared in a wide range of regional, national and international publications. Credits include Raw Vision Magazine, Juxtapoz Magazine, Resurgence Magazine, the cover of Chronogram magazine December 2006, as well as appearing in The New York Times, Woodstock Times, Poughkeepsie Journal, Daily Freeman, Albany Times Union and other regional, national and international publications. Her work was reviewed in “Raw Vision” Magazine Issue 62.

Kaleidescape I & Kaleidescape II

The VARGA Gallery opened in the historic art colony of Woodstock, New York in June 2003. It galvanized Woodstock's art scene with flambouyance, controversy and drive and is a MUST-SEE for any art lover. VARGA Gallery exhibits eclectic, innovative artists with unique works and uninhibited style. The VARGA Gallery serves as the studio and exhibition space of card-carrying visionary artist Christina Varga, as well as the Hudson Valley's finest art gallery of emerging and established visionary, outsider and self-taught artists. Since its inception, VARGA Gallery has hosted hundreds of exhibitions, countless performances and the most talented visionary and outsider artists in the area.

Commissioned projects include extra-terrestrial themed works for the 1999 MTV Movie Awards at Barker Hangar in Los Angeles, California; a three room ceiling mural for the nightclub "Chaos" on East Houston Street in New York City; a restaurant makeover at Asia Roma in Tribeca, NY; giant spores for a Travis Bass, Inc. celebrity event & other projects.

Christina Varga is in the throes of "pixelation" a technique she describes as chopping various media of all sorts into rough squares and incorporating these squares into mixed media orchestrations much like mosaic on a grid. This technique includes materials such as canvas, small mosaic tiles, corrugated cardboard, various papers, burlap, brocade fabrics and more. The "Pixelations" can be seen here.

To commission work by Christina Varga please contact: VARGA Gallery - 845.679.4005
gallery@vargagallery.com

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