About the Artist — Ellie Vergura

Biography

Chicago-based oil painter Ellie Vergura received her Bachelor’s in Studio Art at Agnes Scott College in 2019. While originally from the Upper Valley in Vermont, she also grew up across the country in Stephenville, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; and, for a short time, Mackinac Island, Michigan. The varied landscapes she called home have each influenced her work over time. After seven years in Chicago, she proudly calls the Lakeview neighborhood home.

In 2021, Vergura was commissioned by Soho Myriad to create a large work for the Tribune Tower Residences in Chicago and was a final candidate artist for the Chicago Hyatt Regency re-model. In 2022, she earned a spot with Level57 Art Studio under the Deljou Art Group and was featured in their Summer 2023 Collection. In 2023, her work was featured in the Fall issue of Traditional Home magazine and in an exhibition review from Chicago Reader. In 2024, she debuted her first solo exhibition, ARDOR, with Jackson Junge Gallery and was featured in the widely acclaimed Interior Design magazine with a write-up covering her solo exhibition. She was also interviewed by WDCB Radio in their Arts Section segment which aired live in Chicago. In 2025, she released her first collection with the high-end home design brand, Theodore Alexander.

Artist Statement

Vergura favors simplicity and a neutral palette. Revisiting iconic architecture and grandiose scenes with a “less is more” approach, she distills the essence of ornamentation and passersby in silhouette. The artist chooses a neutral palette to honor architecture in a timeless manner. By painting primarily on wood panels, she is able to capture a sense of patina and age that echoes the surfaces of historic buildings. The solidity of the wood allows her to carve fine lines directly into its surface—marks that canvas cannot sustain—further emphasizing structure, texture, and permanence.

Vergura's work interprets iconic architectural landmarks from across Europe and the United States. These pieces present a romanticized vision of celebrated spaces, often inspired by her travels and her family’s ancestral home of Italy, England and Scotland. When visiting cities throughout Europe, one often stands on cobblestones laid centuries ago. Vergura is fascinated by the countless lives that have crossed those same paths. Through her paintings, she seeks to evoke their passage—both as city dwellers and travelers. By intentionally obscuring detail, she invites viewers to project their own impressions and narratives into the scene, allowing the work to feel timeless and undefined. Her goal is to create spaces that could exist in any era—free from traffic lights, cars, and other markers of modern technology—so that atmosphere and emotion take precedence. Vergura intimately captures the nostalgia of a single moment, along with each space’s tremendous history.

Select Exhibitions

After Dark, Jackson Junge Gallery, Chicago, August 2026

Ten by Ten, Jackson Junge Gallery, Chicago, November 2025

City Lights, Quiet Nights, dk Contemporary Gallery, Atlanta, March 2025

Ten by Ten, Jackson Junge Gallery, Chicago, November 2024

Ardor, Jackson Junge Gallery, Chicago, August 2024

Oh the Places You’ll Go, dk Contemporary Gallery, Atlanta, April 2024

No Color, Jackson Junge Gallery, Chicago, February 2024

Hope, dk Contemporary Gallery, Atlanta, November 2023

Ten by Ten, Jackson Junge Gallery, Chicago, November 2023

Curated by Collector, dk Contemporary Gallery, Atlanta, September 2023

Chicago, Jackson Junge Gallery, Chicago, July 2023