Sometimes our life journeys shape our careers in ways that are so rich and fulfilling, leading to artwork that is both a unique contribution to our communities and to our own personal growth. Yurim Gough’s journey took her from establishing her own business as a shoe designer in Korea to a new life in England, leaving Asia for the first time and learning English from square one. Pulling from her lifelong love of drawing, she used art classes to connect and create community. Through these classes, she fell in love with ceramics, and after a teacher commented on the significant art historical contributions to ceramics coming out of Korea, Yurim realized she had found her artistic voice.
We discuss how she began to connect to the materiality of the clay and felt simultaneously linked to her cultural heritage and her new community. While she was pregnant and a new mother, Yurim pulled from her business know-how to build her connections and exposure in the art world, and now after more than 15 years in England, she has a well established and prolific art practice.
Yurim’s combination of figure drawing with ceramics was so intriguing to learn about. She described how her desire to loosen up her drawing practice manifested in drawing onto the rough surface of bisque-fired clay pieces, sometimes even drawing with her non-dominant hand. Now, Yurim continues this practice, bringing premade ceramic forms to sessions with live models, and she shared how her experience drawing the figure from life leads to an emotional connection with the models themselves. Never too far from her roots in fashion design, Yurim has all the while been interested in the interplay of gender and fasion in the non-binary community. In her Genderfluid series, Yurim used this creative process as a way to connect with and better understand non-binary members of her community.
We end our discussion noting the wonderful balance Yurim has found through establishing healthy boundaries in which she and her now nine-year-old daughter can both thrive as she pursues happiness and wellbeing.
Final Five:
Biggest Art Crush: Searching social media
Dream Trip: Tulum, Mexico
Film or book: The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
Favorite meal: Pork and Kimchi, Korean food
Shout-out: Julian Gough, Juno Gough, hat designer Victoria Grant, Amanda A
To see more of Yurim’s work please visit her website and follow her on IG @yurimgough
The Artist/Mother podcast is created and hosted by Kaylan Buteyn. You can see more of Kaylan’s work on her website or connect with her on Instagram @kaylanbuteyn
