Latine Culture’s Most Overlooked Art Form Is At Our Fingertips

While images of la Virgen de Guadalupe, el Sagrado Corazón, and the festive, rainbow-bright colors so often associated with Latin America have indeed graced the beauty world’s tiniest canvases, fingernails, today’s Latina influencers are taking more modern, albeit just as exuberant, approaches to nail art.

In Miami, Colombian-Ecuadorian nail artist Kro Vargas (@krocaine) emblazons the (long, long) nails of clients like Rosalia with hand-painted gel art. Airbrushed ribbons and sparkles lace one custom set, candy-colored dolphins splash across another, and elaborate script adorns another. Curvy pinups, a 3D glittering buckle, and a set featuring a Chicano tattoo classic Smile Now, Cry Later clown masks are also standouts.

Across the country, Mexican American Marla Paniagua owns and runs a recently-opened nail salon in East Hollywood, Citrine LA (@citrinela_), where clients come for ultra-long ruby red acrylics, pearl-and-rhinestone encrusted coffin nails, expertly airbrushed oval nails, and iconography that pays homage to LA’s lowrider car culture (sculpted flames, bold checker prints). In honor of the long love affair between the Latina community and our nail aesthetic, we asked two Latina nail influencers to weigh in on their personal journeys of nail self-expression.

Kalysse Anthony’s nails are her canvas, each stroke a reflection of her eclectic inspirations. Born in Queens, of Puerto Rican heritage, she recalls her mother’s signature French tips—clean, simple, always done. The click of acrylics against hard surfaces was a birthright of sorts, one she assumed with toy nails as a kid (the ones with the little rubber fingertips attached), to press-ons as a teen, to acrylics as a young woman. 

Self-described “NewYorican” Veronica Bonilla’s nail journey intertwines with her exploration of fashion and self-expression. Growing up in Brooklyn, her eclectic style drew from a mix of influences, from athleisure to sneakerhead culture. Yet, her experiences in the nail salon with her mother and grandmother ignited her passion for nail art. “My grandmother did her nails religiously—square nails, in solid colors, always with a sprinkling of glitter,” Bonilla says. “She would always fall asleep getting her nails done, which was the cutest thing ever—I would always go [to her appointments so I could be there to] wake her up.”

Post-pandemic, Veronica found a kindred spirit in her nail technician, Kia Lux, whose “mystery art” approach mirrors Veronica’s eclectic tastes. Together, they explore inspirations ranging from album covers to outer space, shaping Veronica’s signature almond nails into wearable art. “Inspiration I bring in can be from any place—a kaleidoscopic album cover, a Kaws pop art painting,” Bonilla says. 

Kalysse also draws her inspiration from the cultural milieu around her. “Living in New York, inspiration is literally everywhere. You can just walk outside and see something and be like, ‘Oh, that looks really cool. Maybe I’ll apply this to how I want to dress today or how I want to do my nails,’” Anthony says. She also draws inspiration for her manicures from works of art she’s seen at her favorite museums. The Guggenheim, the Met, and the Spike Lee exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum have all served up recent muses, as have fashion shows from the past: “In the future, I dream of integrating fashion into nail art. I imagine taking inspiration from archival runway images and interpreting the looks on each nail,” Anthony says. “Fashion and nails kind of go hand in hand. It’s a medium to express yourself, and it’s constantly evolving.”  

But, like any art, the modern-day Latina nail aesthetic isn’t so much about the aesthetic as it is the ideas it sparks and the connections it forges. “It’s such a good conversation starter—I can’t tell you how many times I’ll meet someone and they’ll be like, ‘Oh my gosh, I love your nails,’” Bonilla says. “And we can sit there for hours. Just talking about nails and art.”

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