Yula Kim
Artist | Painter
Yula Kim (b. 1996, South Korea) is a London-based artist, who employs her Third Cultural identity of expression to portray the connection between human cultures and nature through birds and their histories.
As a Third Culture Kid, Yula grew up in Asia (South Korea, China), Polynesia (Hawaii), Africa (Uganda), and Europe (The United Kingdom). These diverse environments have given her ample cultural and environmental experiences to draw upon in her artwork.
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 the talented photographer Claire Ward.
Artist Statement
Yula is a painter who uses lines, figurative and abstract shapes based on nature and urban spaces, vivid colours, and space to express her Third Cultural gaze to see our society and our connection to nature. She endeavours to state the cultural hybrid of considering the role of nature and its creatures in today's society in relation to civilisation and the philosophy of aesthetics as well as its influence on the intellectuality in human cultural development . Then, she uses her visual inspirations from birds in different geographies and narrates a new cultural viewpoint to paint a new concept of territory and reveal connections between human culture and nature. She also seeks to mutualise cultures indicating diverse perspectives.
Yula's art philosophies are based on her key questions: 'How birds narrate our desire to own nature', 'How do birds narrate a new perspective on migration/decolonisation/cultural border?' and 'How do birds (and other animals) provide a new perspective to human migration and occupation of place?'.
This is because Yula utilises sources from the historical contributions of birds to human cultures across the world. As a result of her life experience abroad, she is endowed her with the skills to examine birds in different regions and investigate the various roles they serve especially in their contributions to the art and craft of the local areas. Then, she visually connects these discoveries with the idea of aesthetics and the intellectual relationship of humans while visually examining it based on Kant’s Critique of Judgement theory.
Historically, birds have contributed to various human cultural developments, including arts, science, philosophy, and religion. Birds have numerous, unique elements compared to other animals: their distinctive reproduction system, original feather colors (e.g primary colors are not found in any other species), the ability to fly, and their seasonal long-distance migration from continents to continents. Moreover, birds have seemingly adopted the artificial world over centuries. Yet, they react sensitively against such changes throughout their lives. This juxtaposition indicates the anthropological perception of the migration of humans and animals (caused by humans) and the ecological effect of the artificial movement of native species for humanistic benefits.
Yula's artworks have been presented in some significant exhibitions including the Platinum Jubilee Collection at Kensington Council and the Tate Modern in Late March 2023. Then, her painting has been chosen to celebrate His Majesty's Coronation and will be digitally presented at Windsor Castle during the Coronation Concert on the 7th of May, 2023.
Yula have received her Master Degree of Contemporary Art Practice (Public Sphere) at the Royal College of Art in 2023, and she had previously studied BA Fine Art at Goldsmiths, University of London.
Education
MA Contemporary Art Practice: Public Sphere
September 2021 -June 2023
Royal College of Art
Critical and Historical Studies, : Distinction Award
Dissertation: How Do Birds Narrate Our Desire for Ownership?
September 2021 -June 2022
Royal College of Art, Part of Master's Degree Course
BA Fine Art (2.1 Award)
September 2018- June 2021
Goldsmiths College, University of London
Art Festival
2023
BODYSPACES Art Canvas Fair 28th of July-11th of August 2023
The Line London, Hoxton, London, UK, Curated by ITSLIQUID GROUP
Coronation Concert for His Majesty Charles III 'The Royal Collaboration', Exhibiting of No.A
7th of May 2023
Windsor Castle, Windsor, United Kingdom
Beyond Surface Tactilities Presence, Screening of The Blue World
Tate Modern Late x CAP Festival
31st of March 2023
Tate Modern, London, United Kingdom
Symposium Narrator of Opening, CAP Festival Beyond Surface 27th of March, 2023
Gorvy Lecture Theatre, Royal College of Art, London, United Kingdom
2022
CAP festival Hybrid Reality, Exhibiting of Happy Toucany Toucan
21st of March – 1st of April 2022
Royal College of Art, Battersea, London, United Kingdom
CAP festival 2022, 'CAP Salon', Exhibiting of Plastic Quetzal
22th - 24th of February 2022
Royal College of Art, Battersea, London, United Kingdom
2021
The World of Light, Auckland Artweek 2021, Screening of Window 2020
5th-11th of November 2021
Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
Eco Feminist Festival 2021
7th - 17th of October 2021
Art Pavilion, Mile End, London, United Kingdom
https://fomep.org.uk/2021/10/ecofeminism-festival-utopia-art-pavilion/
The Postcard Project Book
14th -15th of August 2021
The Net Gallery, Green Park, London, United Kingdom
Solo Show
2023
Soaring 5th-11th of September, 2023
Invited Artist Exhibition, BNK Art Cinema Gallery, Busan, South Korea
Selected Exhibition
2023
Aesthetics of Bliss 31st of July-4th of August 2023
67 York Street Gallery, Marylebone, London, United Kingdom
RCA 2023 Show
The Truman Brewery, Shoreditch, London, United Kingdom 13th - 16th of June 2023
Inside Out
Core Arts Gallery, Hackney, London, United Kingdom 15th-20th of May 2023
Landscape 2023
1st - 31st of March2023
The Glasgow Gallery of Photography CIC, Glasgow, United Kingdom
2022
Platinum Jubilee Collection
8th of July 2022-5th of May 2023
The Civic Gallery, Kensington Town Hall, London, United Kingdom
2021
Graduation Showcase
10th-17th of July 2021
Smiths and Partner Gallery, South Kensington, London, United Kingdom
Silent Spring
7th-22th of July 2021
We Are The Minories, Essex, United Kingdom
2020
Remembrance of Species 2020
30th of November 2020
Online, Sponsored by Sottish Sea-Bird centre, and Umbral Axochiatl Xochimilco, Scotland, United Kingdom
Curation
Aesthetics of Bliss 31st of July-4th of August 2023 https://sebsartlist.com/events/eighteen-artist-group-show-aesthetics-of-bliss
67 York Street Gallery, Marylebone, London, United Kingdom
£19420
15th-18th of June 2017
Goldsmiths, University of London, London, United Kingdom
Artist Residency
Artist in Residency (Invited Artist Status) 7th-20th of August 2023
Arts letters and Numbers, Albany, New York, USA
https://www.artslettersandnumbers.com/
The MERZ Kate Project 9th-13th of July 2022
Merz Barn, Langdale, Lake District, United Kingdom
Parliament of Owls 5th-20th of May 2022
Ayatana Artists Research Programme, Ottawa, Canada
https://resartis.org/listings/ayatana-artistss-research-program/
Press
Soaring: 자연 고유의 색감으로, 인간과 공존의 세상을 빚다.
05.September.2023
http://www.kookje.co.kr/news2011/asp/newsbody.asp?code=0500&key=20230906.22012000903
BNK Exhibition : 20320부산월드엑스포 유치기원-김유라 초대전
01.September.2023
EXHIBITION REVIEW: BODYSPACES – CANVAS ART FAIR 2023
02.August.2023
https://www.itsliquid.com/review-bodyspaces-london-2023.html
Yula Kim, Contemporary Art Practice, RCA 2023
01.July.2023
https://2023.rca.ac.uk/students/yula-kim/
Digital Artwork by Artist from Busan appeared at the Coronation Concert of King Charles III
10.May.2023
https://n.news.naver.com/article/658/0000040535?type=journalists
Royal College of Art students contribute special artworks for King Charles III’s Coronation Concert
07.May.2023
Platinum Jubilee Connection, 'Tangled Eagle; Life of Secretary Bird: Yula Kim'
07.July.2022
https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/explore-kensington-and-chelsea/yula-kim
Artweek Auckland, An Indie Road Movie & More Fun Things For The Weekend
(Participated Event)
04.Novmeber.2021
The Postcard Project
200 Postcards, 200 Artists, 200 Responses to an Incredibly Life-changing Year
(Participated Event)
https://www.artistsrespondingto.co.uk/thepostcardproject
Publication and Archive
Aesthetica Magazine, August and September edition 2023
Glimpse Magazine, Royal College of Art, July 2023
Artistcloseup Magazine, No.4, March 2023
https://issuu.com/artistcloseup/docs/artistcloseupmagazine4
Royal College of Art Library and Special Collection Archive; Dissertation How Do Birds Narrate Our Desire for Ownership? , November 2022
ArtConnect GmbH Artist Site, Berlin, Germany, November 2022
https://www.artconnect.com/yula-kim-aC5EFeSKKiWPuwdhNK6Ug?tab=artworks
Flora fiction Literary Magazine, Fall Issue, October 2022
https://issuu.com/florafiction/docs/flora_fiction_fall_2022_copy
Zine Magazine, Royal College of Art, March 2022
Shortlisted and Award
Award
Arts Numbers and Letters Organisation Artist Scholarship
Arts letters and Numbers Organisation, Albany, NW, USA, 2023
'Best of the Week' Feature
ArtConnect GmbH, Berlin, Germany, 2022
BA Fine Art Department Student Coordinator Bursary Award
Goldsmiths, University of London, London, United Kingdom, 2020
Shortlist
Shortlisted to 'Contemporary Art Scholarship Competition 2023'
European Cultural Academy, Venice, 2023
Shortlisted to The Awesome Foundation 'Fund Without Border'
The Awesome Foundation, Boston, United State, 2022
Relevant Experience
Curator for Exhibition Aesthetics of Bliss 31 th July -4th of August, 2023
67 York Street, London, United Kingdom
Photographer at Tate Modern Late x CAP Festival Beyond Surface 31st of March, 2023
Tate Modern, London, United Kingdom
Symposium Co-Organiser, CAP Festival Beyond Surface 20th January -27th of March, 2023
Gorvy Lecture Theatre, Royal College of Art, London, United Kingdom
Student Trustee/ Representative October 2021 – June 2022
Royal College of Art, London, United Kingdom
LUDO Project Leader May 2021-June 2021
Goldsmiths CCA, London, United Kingdom
BA Fine Art Department Student Coordinator October 2020 – June 2021
Goldsmiths University of London, London, United Kingdom
BA Fine Art Interview Panel March 2020, 2021
Goldsmiths University of London, London, United Kingdom
Art Mentor November 2019 - June 2020
Goldsmiths University of London, London, United Kingdom
BA Fine Art Peer Assistance Learning Facilitator September 2019 - April 2020
Goldsmiths University of London, London, United Kingdom
Create Art Coordinator June 2019 - August 2019
Village Camps York (Residential Camp), York, United Kingdom
