Berny likes to describe what she does as Design Art, because her career as a designer has naturally formed her approach to her artistic work. Berny is instinctively drawn to playing with geometric shapes that are confined within a sense of structure and balance, yet also explore unexpected and imperfect form, then through colour and texture, embrace the freedom to add layers of expression and expose their raw edges.
Tell us about your background and how you became an artist.
I studied visual art after school, then shifted into visual communication where I majored in graphic design and photography. I worked in a photo studio, then as a graphic designer before taking over the studio and running it for 20 years.
After years of designing for others and following client briefs, I felt a strong pull to explore my own creative voice. I needed space to create from the heart and figure out what really lit me up. That’s when my path as an artist began - design art was born, blending design thinking with artistic expression.
How would you describe your style or philosophy?
I call it Design Art. My background in brand and graphic design naturally informs my work. I’m drawn to geometric shapes, often confined within structure and balance, but I love to play with imperfection - raw edges, unexpected forms. Then I layer colour and texture to bring expression and movement.
It’s the tension between the restrained and the free - the discipline of design and the liberty of expression - where my work finds its energy.
What inspires your creative process day-to-day?
So many things: my heritage, emotions, and themes of balance, flow and journeys. I give myself time to think, play, and experiment, and I let the work take me somewhere new.
How did the Ola Mexicola brief inspire you?
I was drawn to the symbolic power of the circle in Mexican culture - representing wholeness, community, and the sacred. I wove that symbolism into softened geometric forms that suggest human figures in balance. For me, it also connected with my own heritage and traditions, and the way symbols carry meaning across generations.
What story do you hope your work tells?
These works are meditations on unity. They explore the ways we come together in families, communities, and even within ourselves. The repetition and rhythm of the shapes echo harmony - a story of connection and balance.
What role does colour play?
Colour is central. I usually work with three - one for the shape, one for the accent circle, and one for the background. It’s the dialogue between them that creates rhythm and mood.
Where do you imagine your Ola Mexicola pieces living?
They’d sit beautifully in both modern, minimalist spaces - where the shapes complement clean lines - and in eclectic interiors full of pattern and texture, where they offer calm and breathing space.
How do you hope people feel living with your work?
I hope it brings joy and calm. Something uplifting yet soothing, a piece that feels good to live with every day.
If you could spend a day in Mexico…
Mexico City - for its art, music, history, street life and markets. A cultural capital that feels like a hub for creativity.
Three words that sum up Ola Mexicola?
Happy. Relaxed. Colourful.
