Yula Kim
Painter
Yula Kim (b. 1996) is a London-based Korean artist who uses her unique cultural background to show the 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.
Photography by Claire Ward.
Artist Statement
Yula Kim is a painter whose work bridges the realms of nature and urban spaces through the use of lines, figurative and abstract shapes, vivid colors, and spatial dynamics. Her art reflects post-humanistic perspective to see human relationships to nature, exploring the intricate relationships between society and the natural world. Yula's work delves into the cultural hybridization of contemporary society, examining the roles of nature and its creatures in relation to civilization and the philosophy of aesthetics. She investigates how these elements influence human intellectual and cultural development.
Inspired by birds from various geographies, Yula crafts a new cultural narrative that redefines concepts of territory and reveals philosophical and aesthetic connections between human cultures and nature. Her vibrant and thought-provoking compositions invite viewers to contemplate the profound interplay between the natural environment and human society. Yula's artworks have been showcased in significant exhibitions, including the Platinum Jubilee Collection at Kensington Council and Tate Modern in Late March 2023. Her painting was selected to celebrate His Majesty's Coronation and was digitally presented at Windsor Castle during the Coronation Concert on May 7, 2023.
Yula holds a Master's Degree in Contemporary Art Practice from the Royal College of Art, where she graduated with distinction for her dissertation. She previously earned a BA in Fine Art from Goldsmiths, University of London. Yula continues her artistic practice while pursuing a research degree in MA Museums and Galleries in Education at University College London.
