JULIA KUO

Julia Kuo is a Taiwanese-American illustrator currently living in Chicago. She has been an artist-in-residence twice at the Banff Arts Centre, illustrated a dozen books, and worked with clients such as the New York Times, Fendi, and Simon & Schuster. Her favorite pastimes are climbing, hiking, and dreaming about summiting faraway mountains.

Kuo is one of the participating artists for the ON/OFF Grid art exhibition (April 6 - June 3) at the Gene Siskel Film Center in conjunction with the FAAIM 23rd Annual Asian American Showcase, 2018. We asked her a few questions about her work and artistic practice!

Does your identity or personal story inform your work? Who/what inspires you?

I'm inspired by people who climb mountains and who study nature, because I would have liked to do those things in another lifetime. But the nice thing about illustration is that I can use this medium to live vicariously through others or even to relive my own experiences. Either way, the end product becomes a way for me to share my interests with others! So I bring my sketchbook along with me wherever I go, and I've also started to make a few bigger pieces about my climbing and hiking trips.

From "Dragon's Cave and Hot Sea" featured in Giant Robot Media. Image courtesy of artist.

What do you think about AI?

I love reading and watching stories about AI. It’s easy to separate real life from shows and movies like Westworld and Ex Machina, but I’m a little nervous that we’ll be living in Black Mirror soon. My Alexa has been acting a little strange recently…

What are you working on right now?

I'm working on a collection of paintings on Bioluminescence for a gallery show at Light Grey Art Lab, opening later this spring! It’ll be the first solo show for Meet Us in the Woods, my collaboration with fellow illustrator and friend Emily Dove.

From "Meet Us In The Woods" Image courtesy of artist. — From "Meet Us In The Woods" Image courtesy of artist.

Check out Julia and Emily's show at Light Grey Art Lab coming up next weekend!:

Bioluminescence
Solo show for Meet Us in the Woods, a collaboration between Julia Kuo and Emily Dove
Opening May 25, 2018
Light Grey Art Lab
Minneapolis, MN

Meet Us in the Woods is a creative partnership between illustrators Julia Kuo and Emily Dove. They have been sharing their love for the environment through writing and drawing, most recently as artists in residence in Banff National Park.

Bioluminescence is the first solo show by Meet Us in the Woods. Collectively, the duo has kayaked among dinoflagellates in the Bay Area, held foxfire in Taiwan, and gazed up at glowworms in New Zealand. Julia’s video piece and paintings explore the magic and delight of witnessing the first bioluminescent sparkles in the darkness, while Emily’s silk-screened pieces highlight several of the curious life forms responsible for the surreal glow.

See more of Julia Kuo's work on http://juliakuo.com // Instagram @juliaskuo // Join us at the ON/OFF Grid art exhibition running Friday, April 6, 2018 - June 3, 2018.

Artist Interview // JULIA KUO

Julia Kuo is a Taiwanese-American illustrator. She currently works out of Chicago for most of the year and Taiwan in the winter. Julia illustrates children's books as well as editorial pieces for newspapers and magazines. Her clients include Science Friday, the New York Times, Hachette Books, Simon and Schuster, and Macmillan Publishing. When she's not drawing, you might find her running around in a national park and looking at moss.

-Does your identity or how you identify yourself inform your work in any way?

Yes! It’s only natural to draw things that reflect who I am, or what I’m obsessing over at the moment. Sometimes it’s very deliberate. I'm a second generation Taiwanese-American female, and I remember deciding right out of school that I would draw medium-skinned, dark-haired females into my projects whenever possible.

Other times, the manifestation has been more tenuous. Recently I’ve gotten a few comments about my work resembling Japanese woodcuts. I’ve never intentionally modeled my work after Japanese art, but I grew up surrounded by different types of classic Asian art and still admire Hokusai and Hiroshige’s landscapes. I guess I can’t deny that connection, but it makes me wonder.

-When making your work, do you have certain expectations or do you aim for a specific reaction in your audience and the viewer? (Do you care about how the message of your work is received?)

As an illustrator, I care that my images are received in a way that’s appropriate to the content. Lately, I’ve been into creating images that share my love for the outdoors - so I’ve been working with clients that are also looking for the same mix of discovery and education!

-Does art serve a purpose for you outside of just beauty or aesthetics?

When I first started out, I was drawing cute and pretty greeting cards. I was surrounded by friends who were going through med school, working at non-profits, and just about any other job that would make the world a better place. It made me really think about how I could do something more meaningful with illustration. In the 8 years since, I’ve come to a place where I can say that my work has purpose and meaning. But thankfully it doesn't mean that the prettiness has to go away! I've also realized that greeting cards help people, too =)

-How do current events affect your practice?

I recently wrote and illustrated a story on an event involving bison in Canada. My agenda has been to make art that shares my love for the environment, whether it’s about a current event or my own personal experience. By encouraging people to find personal connections to natural places, my hope is that they’ll act to protect them via ways that best suit their careers and abilities. This bison story is part of a larger group of stories about my artist residency in Banff National Park at meetusinthewoods.com.

Julia Kuo's sketchbook. (Image courtesy of artist)

-Do you feel you are more reactive or more reflective when you create?

Maybe reflective, but most likely neither? If anything I’m pretty slow and deliberate; I have probably already reacted and reflected long before I’m ready to publish something for everyone to see.

Journey-scapes Art Pop Up Market ACT II // APR 9, 5PM

Back by popular demand! Join us for the SECOND ACT of Journey-scapes Artist Pop-up Market this Saturday April 9, 2016 starting 5pm before and after the screening for MELE MURALS (Mele Murals - Documentary), a film about the Hawaiian art scene and the influence of ancient traditions on graffiti art! Be sure to come visit the Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and stay for both!

Participating Journey-scapes artists will be offering wares such as jewelry, prints, art, pins, zines, comics, and more!