Kro Vargas is an internationally renowned, Miami-based master nail artist. Born in New York City, Kro moved to Miami at two years old and grew up in the Sweetwater neighborhood. She fell in love with nail art while accompanying her grandmother to the salon and watching in fascination as nail technicians painted elaborate designs. In 2014, she attended beauty school at her parents’ encouragement and turned her passion and artistic expression into a career, learning from other nail artists and working at salons in New Jersey, Miami, and New York. She continued fine-tuning her artistry and developing her intricate techniques, including her signature freestyle lines reminiscent of an “old school” 90s style.
Her trendsetting, multi-dimensional designs have graced the fingertips of major musical artists like Ivy Queen, Rosalía, and Ice Spice. Kro finds beauty and inspiration everywhere and draws influences from fashion, art, hip hop, Miami aesthetics, and Japanese design. She has established herself as a master nail artist within the culture and is featured in books, magazines, album covers, and publications such as Vogue, Office Magazine, i-D, and Fresh Sets: Contemporary Nail Art from Around the World. She was recently highlighted in the 2025 documentary, Nail Tech: Portrait of an Artist.
Residency Programs
Film Preview & Panel Discussion—Full Set: A Celebration of Miami Nail Artistry
December 6
FREE with museum admission
Demonstration: Live Nail Art Design at the Art Deco Festival
Saturday, January 10
FREE
Workshop: Nail Art Techniques with Kro Vargas
Sunday, February 8
Registration required
Exhibition – Nail Art: A Cultural Expression
On view from Dec 5, 2025 – April 26, 2026
Dive into the colorful world of nail art culture through the creative eyes and skilled hands of world-renown nail artist, Kro Vargas. With artifacts, photos, and videos, the exhibit follows her artistic journey, from her first design board to three boundary-pushing nail sets custom made by Kro for the exhibit.
The following includes excerpts from an audio interview with artist-in-residence Kro Vargas conducted in 2026 by Vanessa Navarro Maza, Folklife Curator at the Museum of Miami.
What is your name and where are you from?
My name is Carolina Vargas, and I’m also known as Kro Vargas. I’m from Miami, Florida. I was born in Queens, New York, raised in Miami. I came down when I was two years old. Growing up I would spend my summers in New York at my grandma’s house. She lived in Queens in Sunnyside so I have a lot of fond memories spending summers with her. I feel like growing up, being able to spend summers in New York like in the early 2000s was very inspirational. It was like a new time and new type of generation.
Tell me about how you fell in love with nail art.
My grandma was getting her nails done when she introduced me to that at a very young age. I feel like I was instantly addicted to it because, think about it, you’re a little girl and you’re able to get designs on your nails with like little rhinestones and flowers, and your grandma lets you do whatever you want. My mom was picky about not letting me have blue polish or dark polish. My grandma let me just do whatever, and she would take me to the salon with her and ask them to do a design, and I was like obsessed from the second I was able to do it.
Within the world of nail art, is there anything that stands out that you’re really proud of?
I feel like I’m very proud of the influence that I created in the nail art industry. I love seeing the influence I made in people’s designs. Having new artists that are huge right now telling me, “You’re the reason I started doing nails.” That makes me very proud.
What do you value most about the work that you do?
I value taking my clients confidence to another level. I enjoy making my clients happy. I love seeing their reaction when they love the nails. I love like just that bond I have with my clients. How I feel when I do my own nails or do a design, that feeling never changes when I do a design I love. It always hits.
More About Nail Art and Culture
In collaboration with Dr. Jillian Hernandez, Associate Professor at the University of Florida, and the Full Set Project with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
