Karina Rodríguez

"The Obstacle" (2024) by Karina Rodríguez, Contemporary Still Life Oil Painting

2024

Dominican artist Karina Rodríguez specializes in hyperrealistic oil paintings that elevate commonplace objects to subjects of contemplation and wonder. Born in 1988 in La Romana, she has dedicated fifteen years to developing a painting practice centered on technical precision and emotional resonance. Her works begin as photographic compositions, which she then recreates in oil paint with extraordinary attention to surface textures, lighting effects, and spatial relationships. The resulting paintings often appear photographic in their clarity, yet possess the subtle handmade qualities that distinguish fine painting from mechanical reproduction. Rodríguez particularly gravitates toward objects with personal and cultural significance, creating still life arrangements that invite viewers to reconsider the aesthetic potential of their immediate environment. She received formal training at the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes in Santo Domingo and holds a degree in Art History and Criticism from Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo. Her paintings have been exhibited in museums and galleries throughout Latin America, Europe, and the United States. She is represented by select galleries across the United States including Abend Gallery.