Maker
Hi, my name is Yumi :) My main muse is Mother Earth, particularly the breathtaking land throughout the Pacific Northwest coast on unceded Coast Salish land.
Inspiration comes from gratitude to Mother Earth and her offerings: scenic hikes, beachcombing, wildlife encounters, being in the garden, as well as the feeling of serenity, freedom, and recharging of the soul when ‘forest bathing’ (しんりんよく - shinrinyoku).
I enjoy incorporating elements of nature, creating pieces that lean towards organic-antique, and aim to evoke a little bit of magic in what I make either by design or chosen ingredients.
Thank you for visiting x
ARTIST STATEMENT
My intention is to create art reflecting a part of my internal world, exploring the intersectionality of my East Asian heritage x West Coast up-bringing. I find joy in working with clay as my canvas, gravitating towards porcelain and raku – wheel throwing, hand building, relief carving.
The art work I create is influenced by nature, ancient relief work, as well as desire to reconnect to my mixed heritage. I would love for the viewer experiencing my work to have evoked feelings of curiosity and serenity.
Creative research is mainly accessed through sketching out in the wild - observing washed up seaweed, local wildflowers or mushrooms.
Artist Bio
Yumi (she/her) was born in Vancouver, BC, a 2nd generation Chinese-Japanese Canadian. Her formal studies include classical piano performance and piano pedagogy (ARCT, BMus., BEd.).
She took the opportunity to re-ignite her curiosity of working with clay - learning basics of throwing with Ann Coleman and continued practicing at Yunomi Studio & Gallery in Victoria, BC (2022). She also learned traditional kintsugi from master kintsugi artist Yuka Morino, and took part in her first Raku firing with Dan Krystalovich (2024).
Yumi was selected as an exhibiting artist at Cannonball Arts in Seattle, WA, displaying relief carved soap sculptures, and took part in an intensive two-day masterclass learning how to throw large scale and composite forms with Kseniya Polyakova in New York City (2025).
