Artist
Yula Kim
Yula Kim (김유라) is a painter. She uses her unique cultural background to show the artistic connections between human cultures and nature, especially through birds and their histories. Having lived in Asia (South Korea, China), Polynesia (Hawaii), Africa (Uganda), and Europe (The United Kingdom), Yula draws on her rich and varied experiences in her artwork. These diverse environments have shaped her perspective and inform the themes she explores in her art. Yula's inter-continental life has stimulated her ability to see the inherent aesthetics of nature, enlightened her gaze and helped her consider the significance of nature in individual lives, and society, as a whole. She offers a diverse viewpoint in her artwork as she describes the relationships between human desire, cultures and the natural environment.
Q1. What inspires the artist?
Yula Kim is inspired by art that weaves and illustrates the unity of the conceptual and physical space between nature and humanistic emotion. For Yula, birds, flowers, vibrant colours and man-made objects cohesively explore humanistic, social, and cultural relationships with nature. In particular, birds evoke her curiosity about cultural and environmental diversity. They prompt reflection on our interconnectedness. Yula has lived in South Korea, China, Hawaii, Uganda, and the UK. This diverse experience has enriched her perspective and shaped her artistic vision. Her work
illustrates the harmony between human existence, birds and nature, celebrating cross-cultural connections.
Q2. What does being a female artist mean?
Yula sees being a female artist as a departure from mundane societal norms that often confine women to traditional roles. It provides her with a platform to assert her creativity and intellectualism, allowing her to express and communicate her perspectives on humanity, nature, and the world. She challenges traditional notions of femininity and societal expectations, focusing on nurturing a distinctive voice and contributing to cultural discourse. For her, being a female artist is about crafting her own narrative and empowering others to embrace their unique paths towards self-assurance and cultural enlightenment.
Q3. How does Korean culture influence artist's art?
Yula identifies as a Third Culture individual, drawing from a rich tapestry of cultural experiences. She explains that Korean culture holds a profound influence on her art practice, manifesting in both aesthetic and philosophical dimensions. She integrates traditional Korean elements, such as the symbolic use of animals and birds, into her artistic expressions, conveying deeper ethical and aesthetic principles rooted in Korean tradition.
Q4. Who are the female artist role models, and why?
Yula considers Frida Kahlo as her female artist role model. She had the opportunity to visit Kahlo's exhibition in Seoul during her travels in South Korea several years ago. Kahlo's paintings deeply resonate with Yula Kim because Kahlo boldly portrays her individuality through personal narratives, often incorporating nature and animals to express social, cultural, and personal themes. Kahlo's art serves as a powerful visual and conceptual demonstration of her artistic certainty, exploring profound aspects of identity and human experience through a distinctive style. Yula Kim admires how Kahlo navigated life's challenges, using art as a means to intellectually and creatively overcome adversity. She finds Kahlo's resilience and dedication to her craft truly inspiring, showcasing the transformative power of art to express profound emotional and intellectual depth. Furthermore, Yula Kim is inspired by how Kahlo expressed her feminine identity through her fashion while asserting her unique artistic intellectual voice beyond the norms of her time. Kahlo's ability to blend personal style with intellectual integrity serves as a guiding light for Yula Kim as both an artist and an individual navigating life. Kahlo's life and artworks motivate her to continue pushing boundaries and exploring new artistic frontiers.
Q5. What projects are currently being worked on?
Yula participated as an artist in a recent project organized by the Science Museum and the School of Museum Studies at the University of Leicester. She creatively responded to the exhibition Zimingzhong: Clockwork from China’s Forbidden City at the Science Museum in London (February 1 to June 2, 2024). The project focused on creating a 1-minute video artwork for social media, capturing the aesthetics of the clocks from the exhibition while combining artistic interpretations of animal symbolism in both Western and Eastern art.

Starlings, 2024
Oil, natural pigment and acrylic on canvas
40 x 50 cm
‘Starlings’ explores how humans shape nature to assert control over aesthetics and intellectual spaces. Yula juxtaposes natural and artificial elements in her painting. They illustrate how nature becomes a symbol of human colonisation, serving to showcase intellectual aesthetics. ‘Starlings’ represent the uncertainty and complexity of human desires to control the natural world. Through Yula‘s work, she invites viewers to reflect on the tension between human dominance and nature’s resilience, prompting contemplation on the ethical implications of shaping and preserving natural spaces.