Answering Sustainability’s Call: How artist Yuliya V Krylova turns discarded fabrics into wearable art
We sit down with environmental artist Yuliya V Krylova to discuss the process of upcycling and wearable art...
August 22, 2023
Today’s global goal is simple: how can we reach a net-zero, decarbonised society before we feel climate change’s irreparable effects? This interrogation has affected all aspects of our modern life, from businesses setting up decarbonisation plans, to personal habits shifting to adopt more circular, sustainable modes of consumption.
These questions on the planet’s future are also reaching the art world. Making the practice of art more sustainable, while also using art to discuss our global sustainability challenges are two key avenues being explored by artists around the world.
Yuliya V Krylova is one such artist: discarded fabrics become "wearable art" in Yuliya's upcycling world. Join us as we explore her upcycling world and look forward to her next collection.
We meet Yuliya at the Poplar Union Cafe, overlooking Limehouse Canal in East London's Mile End. The cafe’s walls display Yuliya's work: part of her collection features the cafe’s discarded coffee bags, as well as cut-aways from digital fabric printers (with markings like a fabric’s reference number).
After collecting the fabrics, Yuliya free-hands the cutting and assembling processes, then dyes these fabrics using traditional methods and natural products, such as turmeric, chamomile and even onion peels. To fix the colour, Yuliya uses salt - which once warranted a trip to the Welsh seaside to dip the fabrics in the water! By going against the grain, Yuliya is rediscovering those traditions, "what is already there". Upcycling is a rediscovery.
The clothes are also decorated with delicate single-stroke ink drawings. Yuliya lets her hand lead the way and explore the unconscious, avoiding what she calls "programming", what we think a design 'should' look like. True mastery is then identifying the moment when the design is complete.
So, what started it all: why the focus on clothing?
My first artistic memory was at age 3, in Kazakhstan where I am from. I would draw my dreams, the different realities I saw while asleep. However, I started my career as a finance lawyer, and completed an LLM degree (Master of Laws), although I never liked it - I had this inner desire to be an artist which would make an explosive exit, one way or another. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 16, and I fell into repeated comas. It made me think 'what was my life worth, if I don't wake up tomorrow? If I have one month to live, how do I live this month?'. As a lawyer, I felt I'd leave nothing behind, just piles of documents; so, I decided to pursue the desire and came to London to do theatre costume design. I also built a portfolio of paintings which were well-received, but my real passion was costumes.
How did your specific interest in upcycling start?
Kazakhstan was a part of the Soviet Union, and Soviet Union clothing is very boring, very grim; I wanted to learn how to sew, as all my family members made clothes and had those skills. I always found the construction of clothes fascinating. My first art teacher, in primary school, Genadi Fedorovich Abramov, was an amazing example of someone who used ‘rubbish’ (chopped wood, wood boards, plastic panels, glass) to create beautiful works of art which students decorated with colour. Sometimes, we created little figurines from recycled wood, painted them and made set designs displayed across the school.
What is your favourite part of the upcycling process?
Each stage of the process has its bursts of 'oh my god!'. When I explore a new pile of textiles, it is a real discovery and there is great excitement in finding a gem in the rubbish. Then, when I cut out the shape of a piece, I feel a process of regeneration [as the 'rubbish' becomes 'clothing']. It is amazing to create something out of nothing - well, what others consider to be nothing. The constraint of the textiles fuels my creativity: I have no control over what my materials will be, and this liberates my creative process. Those constraints and limitations unlock the full power of creativity; it helps to avoid the predictability that comes with having all the choices when everything is available.
What do you think of the upcycling practice as it becomes more widespread?
There is a big shift today, with lots of politics and new technologies around 'going green'. For me, upcycling is finding my position in this new context - I encourage everyone to find a niche for themselves.
A lot of your work revolves around performance and dance: do you see a relationship between clothes, fashion, and performance?
When I worked with costumes, I would draw activated, dancing figures - I was inspired by Yves Saint-Laurent’s costume design illustrations, exhibited in 1990s Moscow. I was fascinated by the figures drawn and thought 'I would like to do that!'. Once in the UK, I started a journey of learning Butoh dance, which comes from post-war Japan - the nuclear bombings pushed a rethinking of dancing: after the darkness, was it still worth searching for perfection [like in ballet]? Butoh initially was also called ‘the dance of darkness’, and is an exploration of inwardness, the cycles of life and transitory states of being. It sees all motion as dance, we dance the poetry of life! I always think of how the clothes will look in motion when I build them: how would a person move in them?
Being an artist today can mean using technology in your work: social media, editing software… Do these tools have a place in your work?
For me, technology is for the outward presentation, not the creation. I use social media to share my work, and apps to create and edit films. Although the digital reaches many people, it is a different plane of operation for me. I could make patterns digitally, but I prefer to cut all my patterns freehand, I like that tactility.
How do you balance creativity with making sure you can make a living with your art?
I never thought I would make it past 28 due to my diabetes, so I never had the 'amazing life plan' to sustain myself as an artist. Nonetheless, I do many things today! I run workshops and I am also an artist educator in primary schools. I run classes outside the curriculum, teaching children skills they would not get anywhere else. This is supported by the Bow Arts Trust, which makes creative activity sustainable within communities, creating opportunities to work, learn and enjoy affordable, lifelong access to the arts.
What is next?
I will be showcasing my new wearable art collection during an immersive performance, ‘Wingmakers' Garden’, with the help of many gifted artists. We will mix music, poetry, dance, divination, painting, and sculpture - all in one place. Inspiration comes from all mediums, and we wish to create an event that will inspire others, give them wings. This will be on 16th September, at the Jamboree Venue in King's Cross.
What are your favourite exhibitions currently showing?
I find the Tate Modern a beautiful museum! I also find inspiration in nature and through interactions with others. I really love visiting other artists' open studios (if this resonates with you, why not visit The Royal Academy's Young Artists’ Summer Show?)
Who are the artists to know in the upcycling space?
I am part of the Art in the Docks Collective in East London's Royal Docks. All of us work with recyclables and waste and we do all sorts of things: from making shoes, to wearable art, to organising upcycling workshops and giving people the tools to re-invent at home. Our exhibition 'What a Load of Rubbish' (showing until 27th August) presents all this work!
If the role upcycling can play within the art world interests you, why not visit Liz Magor’s The Rise and the Fall installation in Dublin (until 24th September)? Don't forget to collect your Yamos on the gowithYamo app!
Today’s global goal is simple: how can we reach a net-zero, decarbonised society before we feel climate change’s irreparable effects? This interrogation has affected all aspects of our modern life, from businesses setting up decarbonisation plans, to personal habits shifting to adopt more circular, sustainable modes of consumption.
These questions on the planet’s future are also reaching the art world. Making the practice of art more sustainable, while also using art to discuss our global sustainability challenges are two key avenues being explored by artists around the world.
Yuliya V Krylova is one such artist: discarded fabrics become "wearable art" in Yuliya's upcycling world. Join us as we explore her upcycling world and look forward to her next collection.
We meet Yuliya at the Poplar Union Cafe, overlooking Limehouse Canal in East London's Mile End. The cafe’s walls display Yuliya's work: part of her collection features the cafe’s discarded coffee bags, as well as cut-aways from digital fabric printers (with markings like a fabric’s reference number).
After collecting the fabrics, Yuliya free-hands the cutting and assembling processes, then dyes these fabrics using traditional methods and natural products, such as turmeric, chamomile and even onion peels. To fix the colour, Yuliya uses salt - which once warranted a trip to the Welsh seaside to dip the fabrics in the water! By going against the grain, Yuliya is rediscovering those traditions, "what is already there". Upcycling is a rediscovery.
The clothes are also decorated with delicate single-stroke ink drawings. Yuliya lets her hand lead the way and explore the unconscious, avoiding what she calls "programming", what we think a design 'should' look like. True mastery is then identifying the moment when the design is complete.
So, what started it all: why the focus on clothing?
My first artistic memory was at age 3, in Kazakhstan where I am from. I would draw my dreams, the different realities I saw while asleep. However, I started my career as a finance lawyer, and completed an LLM degree (Master of Laws), although I never liked it - I had this inner desire to be an artist which would make an explosive exit, one way or another. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 16, and I fell into repeated comas. It made me think 'what was my life worth, if I don't wake up tomorrow? If I have one month to live, how do I live this month?'. As a lawyer, I felt I'd leave nothing behind, just piles of documents; so, I decided to pursue the desire and came to London to do theatre costume design. I also built a portfolio of paintings which were well-received, but my real passion was costumes.
How did your specific interest in upcycling start?
Kazakhstan was a part of the Soviet Union, and Soviet Union clothing is very boring, very grim; I wanted to learn how to sew, as all my family members made clothes and had those skills. I always found the construction of clothes fascinating. My first art teacher, in primary school, Genadi Fedorovich Abramov, was an amazing example of someone who used ‘rubbish’ (chopped wood, wood boards, plastic panels, glass) to create beautiful works of art which students decorated with colour. Sometimes, we created little figurines from recycled wood, painted them and made set designs displayed across the school.
What is your favourite part of the upcycling process?
Each stage of the process has its bursts of 'oh my god!'. When I explore a new pile of textiles, it is a real discovery and there is great excitement in finding a gem in the rubbish. Then, when I cut out the shape of a piece, I feel a process of regeneration [as the 'rubbish' becomes 'clothing']. It is amazing to create something out of nothing - well, what others consider to be nothing. The constraint of the textiles fuels my creativity: I have no control over what my materials will be, and this liberates my creative process. Those constraints and limitations unlock the full power of creativity; it helps to avoid the predictability that comes with having all the choices when everything is available.
What do you think of the upcycling practice as it becomes more widespread?
There is a big shift today, with lots of politics and new technologies around 'going green'. For me, upcycling is finding my position in this new context - I encourage everyone to find a niche for themselves.
A lot of your work revolves around performance and dance: do you see a relationship between clothes, fashion, and performance?
When I worked with costumes, I would draw activated, dancing figures - I was inspired by Yves Saint-Laurent’s costume design illustrations, exhibited in 1990s Moscow. I was fascinated by the figures drawn and thought 'I would like to do that!'. Once in the UK, I started a journey of learning Butoh dance, which comes from post-war Japan - the nuclear bombings pushed a rethinking of dancing: after the darkness, was it still worth searching for perfection [like in ballet]? Butoh initially was also called ‘the dance of darkness’, and is an exploration of inwardness, the cycles of life and transitory states of being. It sees all motion as dance, we dance the poetry of life! I always think of how the clothes will look in motion when I build them: how would a person move in them?
Being an artist today can mean using technology in your work: social media, editing software… Do these tools have a place in your work?
For me, technology is for the outward presentation, not the creation. I use social media to share my work, and apps to create and edit films. Although the digital reaches many people, it is a different plane of operation for me. I could make patterns digitally, but I prefer to cut all my patterns freehand, I like that tactility.
How do you balance creativity with making sure you can make a living with your art?
I never thought I would make it past 28 due to my diabetes, so I never had the 'amazing life plan' to sustain myself as an artist. Nonetheless, I do many things today! I run workshops and I am also an artist educator in primary schools. I run classes outside the curriculum, teaching children skills they would not get anywhere else. This is supported by the Bow Arts Trust, which makes creative activity sustainable within communities, creating opportunities to work, learn and enjoy affordable, lifelong access to the arts.
What is next?
I will be showcasing my new wearable art collection during an immersive performance, ‘Wingmakers' Garden’, with the help of many gifted artists. We will mix music, poetry, dance, divination, painting, and sculpture - all in one place. Inspiration comes from all mediums, and we wish to create an event that will inspire others, give them wings. This will be on 16th September, at the Jamboree Venue in King's Cross.
What are your favourite exhibitions currently showing?
I find the Tate Modern a beautiful museum! I also find inspiration in nature and through interactions with others. I really love visiting other artists' open studios (if this resonates with you, why not visit The Royal Academy's Young Artists’ Summer Show?)
Who are the artists to know in the upcycling space?
I am part of the Art in the Docks Collective in East London's Royal Docks. All of us work with recyclables and waste and we do all sorts of things: from making shoes, to wearable art, to organising upcycling workshops and giving people the tools to re-invent at home. Our exhibition 'What a Load of Rubbish' (showing until 27th August) presents all this work!
If the role upcycling can play within the art world interests you, why not visit Liz Magor’s The Rise and the Fall installation in Dublin (until 24th September)? Don't forget to collect your Yamos on the gowithYamo app!
Today’s global goal is simple: how can we reach a net-zero, decarbonised society before we feel climate change’s irreparable effects? This interrogation has affected all aspects of our modern life, from businesses setting up decarbonisation plans, to personal habits shifting to adopt more circular, sustainable modes of consumption.
These questions on the planet’s future are also reaching the art world. Making the practice of art more sustainable, while also using art to discuss our global sustainability challenges are two key avenues being explored by artists around the world.
Yuliya V Krylova is one such artist: discarded fabrics become "wearable art" in Yuliya's upcycling world. Join us as we explore her upcycling world and look forward to her next collection.
We meet Yuliya at the Poplar Union Cafe, overlooking Limehouse Canal in East London's Mile End. The cafe’s walls display Yuliya's work: part of her collection features the cafe’s discarded coffee bags, as well as cut-aways from digital fabric printers (with markings like a fabric’s reference number).
After collecting the fabrics, Yuliya free-hands the cutting and assembling processes, then dyes these fabrics using traditional methods and natural products, such as turmeric, chamomile and even onion peels. To fix the colour, Yuliya uses salt - which once warranted a trip to the Welsh seaside to dip the fabrics in the water! By going against the grain, Yuliya is rediscovering those traditions, "what is already there". Upcycling is a rediscovery.
The clothes are also decorated with delicate single-stroke ink drawings. Yuliya lets her hand lead the way and explore the unconscious, avoiding what she calls "programming", what we think a design 'should' look like. True mastery is then identifying the moment when the design is complete.
So, what started it all: why the focus on clothing?
My first artistic memory was at age 3, in Kazakhstan where I am from. I would draw my dreams, the different realities I saw while asleep. However, I started my career as a finance lawyer, and completed an LLM degree (Master of Laws), although I never liked it - I had this inner desire to be an artist which would make an explosive exit, one way or another. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 16, and I fell into repeated comas. It made me think 'what was my life worth, if I don't wake up tomorrow? If I have one month to live, how do I live this month?'. As a lawyer, I felt I'd leave nothing behind, just piles of documents; so, I decided to pursue the desire and came to London to do theatre costume design. I also built a portfolio of paintings which were well-received, but my real passion was costumes.
How did your specific interest in upcycling start?
Kazakhstan was a part of the Soviet Union, and Soviet Union clothing is very boring, very grim; I wanted to learn how to sew, as all my family members made clothes and had those skills. I always found the construction of clothes fascinating. My first art teacher, in primary school, Genadi Fedorovich Abramov, was an amazing example of someone who used ‘rubbish’ (chopped wood, wood boards, plastic panels, glass) to create beautiful works of art which students decorated with colour. Sometimes, we created little figurines from recycled wood, painted them and made set designs displayed across the school.
What is your favourite part of the upcycling process?
Each stage of the process has its bursts of 'oh my god!'. When I explore a new pile of textiles, it is a real discovery and there is great excitement in finding a gem in the rubbish. Then, when I cut out the shape of a piece, I feel a process of regeneration [as the 'rubbish' becomes 'clothing']. It is amazing to create something out of nothing - well, what others consider to be nothing. The constraint of the textiles fuels my creativity: I have no control over what my materials will be, and this liberates my creative process. Those constraints and limitations unlock the full power of creativity; it helps to avoid the predictability that comes with having all the choices when everything is available.
What do you think of the upcycling practice as it becomes more widespread?
There is a big shift today, with lots of politics and new technologies around 'going green'. For me, upcycling is finding my position in this new context - I encourage everyone to find a niche for themselves.
A lot of your work revolves around performance and dance: do you see a relationship between clothes, fashion, and performance?
When I worked with costumes, I would draw activated, dancing figures - I was inspired by Yves Saint-Laurent’s costume design illustrations, exhibited in 1990s Moscow. I was fascinated by the figures drawn and thought 'I would like to do that!'. Once in the UK, I started a journey of learning Butoh dance, which comes from post-war Japan - the nuclear bombings pushed a rethinking of dancing: after the darkness, was it still worth searching for perfection [like in ballet]? Butoh initially was also called ‘the dance of darkness’, and is an exploration of inwardness, the cycles of life and transitory states of being. It sees all motion as dance, we dance the poetry of life! I always think of how the clothes will look in motion when I build them: how would a person move in them?
Being an artist today can mean using technology in your work: social media, editing software… Do these tools have a place in your work?
For me, technology is for the outward presentation, not the creation. I use social media to share my work, and apps to create and edit films. Although the digital reaches many people, it is a different plane of operation for me. I could make patterns digitally, but I prefer to cut all my patterns freehand, I like that tactility.
How do you balance creativity with making sure you can make a living with your art?
I never thought I would make it past 28 due to my diabetes, so I never had the 'amazing life plan' to sustain myself as an artist. Nonetheless, I do many things today! I run workshops and I am also an artist educator in primary schools. I run classes outside the curriculum, teaching children skills they would not get anywhere else. This is supported by the Bow Arts Trust, which makes creative activity sustainable within communities, creating opportunities to work, learn and enjoy affordable, lifelong access to the arts.
What is next?
I will be showcasing my new wearable art collection during an immersive performance, ‘Wingmakers' Garden’, with the help of many gifted artists. We will mix music, poetry, dance, divination, painting, and sculpture - all in one place. Inspiration comes from all mediums, and we wish to create an event that will inspire others, give them wings. This will be on 16th September, at the Jamboree Venue in King's Cross.
What are your favourite exhibitions currently showing?
I find the Tate Modern a beautiful museum! I also find inspiration in nature and through interactions with others. I really love visiting other artists' open studios (if this resonates with you, why not visit The Royal Academy's Young Artists’ Summer Show?)
Who are the artists to know in the upcycling space?
I am part of the Art in the Docks Collective in East London's Royal Docks. All of us work with recyclables and waste and we do all sorts of things: from making shoes, to wearable art, to organising upcycling workshops and giving people the tools to re-invent at home. Our exhibition 'What a Load of Rubbish' (showing until 27th August) presents all this work!
If the role upcycling can play within the art world interests you, why not visit Liz Magor’s The Rise and the Fall installation in Dublin (until 24th September)? Don't forget to collect your Yamos on the gowithYamo app!
Today’s global goal is simple: how can we reach a net-zero, decarbonised society before we feel climate change’s irreparable effects? This interrogation has affected all aspects of our modern life, from businesses setting up decarbonisation plans, to personal habits shifting to adopt more circular, sustainable modes of consumption.
These questions on the planet’s future are also reaching the art world. Making the practice of art more sustainable, while also using art to discuss our global sustainability challenges are two key avenues being explored by artists around the world.
Yuliya V Krylova is one such artist: discarded fabrics become "wearable art" in Yuliya's upcycling world. Join us as we explore her upcycling world and look forward to her next collection.
We meet Yuliya at the Poplar Union Cafe, overlooking Limehouse Canal in East London's Mile End. The cafe’s walls display Yuliya's work: part of her collection features the cafe’s discarded coffee bags, as well as cut-aways from digital fabric printers (with markings like a fabric’s reference number).
After collecting the fabrics, Yuliya free-hands the cutting and assembling processes, then dyes these fabrics using traditional methods and natural products, such as turmeric, chamomile and even onion peels. To fix the colour, Yuliya uses salt - which once warranted a trip to the Welsh seaside to dip the fabrics in the water! By going against the grain, Yuliya is rediscovering those traditions, "what is already there". Upcycling is a rediscovery.
The clothes are also decorated with delicate single-stroke ink drawings. Yuliya lets her hand lead the way and explore the unconscious, avoiding what she calls "programming", what we think a design 'should' look like. True mastery is then identifying the moment when the design is complete.
So, what started it all: why the focus on clothing?
My first artistic memory was at age 3, in Kazakhstan where I am from. I would draw my dreams, the different realities I saw while asleep. However, I started my career as a finance lawyer, and completed an LLM degree (Master of Laws), although I never liked it - I had this inner desire to be an artist which would make an explosive exit, one way or another. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 16, and I fell into repeated comas. It made me think 'what was my life worth, if I don't wake up tomorrow? If I have one month to live, how do I live this month?'. As a lawyer, I felt I'd leave nothing behind, just piles of documents; so, I decided to pursue the desire and came to London to do theatre costume design. I also built a portfolio of paintings which were well-received, but my real passion was costumes.
How did your specific interest in upcycling start?
Kazakhstan was a part of the Soviet Union, and Soviet Union clothing is very boring, very grim; I wanted to learn how to sew, as all my family members made clothes and had those skills. I always found the construction of clothes fascinating. My first art teacher, in primary school, Genadi Fedorovich Abramov, was an amazing example of someone who used ‘rubbish’ (chopped wood, wood boards, plastic panels, glass) to create beautiful works of art which students decorated with colour. Sometimes, we created little figurines from recycled wood, painted them and made set designs displayed across the school.
What is your favourite part of the upcycling process?
Each stage of the process has its bursts of 'oh my god!'. When I explore a new pile of textiles, it is a real discovery and there is great excitement in finding a gem in the rubbish. Then, when I cut out the shape of a piece, I feel a process of regeneration [as the 'rubbish' becomes 'clothing']. It is amazing to create something out of nothing - well, what others consider to be nothing. The constraint of the textiles fuels my creativity: I have no control over what my materials will be, and this liberates my creative process. Those constraints and limitations unlock the full power of creativity; it helps to avoid the predictability that comes with having all the choices when everything is available.
What do you think of the upcycling practice as it becomes more widespread?
There is a big shift today, with lots of politics and new technologies around 'going green'. For me, upcycling is finding my position in this new context - I encourage everyone to find a niche for themselves.
A lot of your work revolves around performance and dance: do you see a relationship between clothes, fashion, and performance?
When I worked with costumes, I would draw activated, dancing figures - I was inspired by Yves Saint-Laurent’s costume design illustrations, exhibited in 1990s Moscow. I was fascinated by the figures drawn and thought 'I would like to do that!'. Once in the UK, I started a journey of learning Butoh dance, which comes from post-war Japan - the nuclear bombings pushed a rethinking of dancing: after the darkness, was it still worth searching for perfection [like in ballet]? Butoh initially was also called ‘the dance of darkness’, and is an exploration of inwardness, the cycles of life and transitory states of being. It sees all motion as dance, we dance the poetry of life! I always think of how the clothes will look in motion when I build them: how would a person move in them?
Being an artist today can mean using technology in your work: social media, editing software… Do these tools have a place in your work?
For me, technology is for the outward presentation, not the creation. I use social media to share my work, and apps to create and edit films. Although the digital reaches many people, it is a different plane of operation for me. I could make patterns digitally, but I prefer to cut all my patterns freehand, I like that tactility.
How do you balance creativity with making sure you can make a living with your art?
I never thought I would make it past 28 due to my diabetes, so I never had the 'amazing life plan' to sustain myself as an artist. Nonetheless, I do many things today! I run workshops and I am also an artist educator in primary schools. I run classes outside the curriculum, teaching children skills they would not get anywhere else. This is supported by the Bow Arts Trust, which makes creative activity sustainable within communities, creating opportunities to work, learn and enjoy affordable, lifelong access to the arts.
What is next?
I will be showcasing my new wearable art collection during an immersive performance, ‘Wingmakers' Garden’, with the help of many gifted artists. We will mix music, poetry, dance, divination, painting, and sculpture - all in one place. Inspiration comes from all mediums, and we wish to create an event that will inspire others, give them wings. This will be on 16th September, at the Jamboree Venue in King's Cross.
What are your favourite exhibitions currently showing?
I find the Tate Modern a beautiful museum! I also find inspiration in nature and through interactions with others. I really love visiting other artists' open studios (if this resonates with you, why not visit The Royal Academy's Young Artists’ Summer Show?)
Who are the artists to know in the upcycling space?
I am part of the Art in the Docks Collective in East London's Royal Docks. All of us work with recyclables and waste and we do all sorts of things: from making shoes, to wearable art, to organising upcycling workshops and giving people the tools to re-invent at home. Our exhibition 'What a Load of Rubbish' (showing until 27th August) presents all this work!
If the role upcycling can play within the art world interests you, why not visit Liz Magor’s The Rise and the Fall installation in Dublin (until 24th September)? Don't forget to collect your Yamos on the gowithYamo app!
Today’s global goal is simple: how can we reach a net-zero, decarbonised society before we feel climate change’s irreparable effects? This interrogation has affected all aspects of our modern life, from businesses setting up decarbonisation plans, to personal habits shifting to adopt more circular, sustainable modes of consumption.
These questions on the planet’s future are also reaching the art world. Making the practice of art more sustainable, while also using art to discuss our global sustainability challenges are two key avenues being explored by artists around the world.
Yuliya V Krylova is one such artist: discarded fabrics become "wearable art" in Yuliya's upcycling world. Join us as we explore her upcycling world and look forward to her next collection.
We meet Yuliya at the Poplar Union Cafe, overlooking Limehouse Canal in East London's Mile End. The cafe’s walls display Yuliya's work: part of her collection features the cafe’s discarded coffee bags, as well as cut-aways from digital fabric printers (with markings like a fabric’s reference number).
After collecting the fabrics, Yuliya free-hands the cutting and assembling processes, then dyes these fabrics using traditional methods and natural products, such as turmeric, chamomile and even onion peels. To fix the colour, Yuliya uses salt - which once warranted a trip to the Welsh seaside to dip the fabrics in the water! By going against the grain, Yuliya is rediscovering those traditions, "what is already there". Upcycling is a rediscovery.
The clothes are also decorated with delicate single-stroke ink drawings. Yuliya lets her hand lead the way and explore the unconscious, avoiding what she calls "programming", what we think a design 'should' look like. True mastery is then identifying the moment when the design is complete.
So, what started it all: why the focus on clothing?
My first artistic memory was at age 3, in Kazakhstan where I am from. I would draw my dreams, the different realities I saw while asleep. However, I started my career as a finance lawyer, and completed an LLM degree (Master of Laws), although I never liked it - I had this inner desire to be an artist which would make an explosive exit, one way or another. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 16, and I fell into repeated comas. It made me think 'what was my life worth, if I don't wake up tomorrow? If I have one month to live, how do I live this month?'. As a lawyer, I felt I'd leave nothing behind, just piles of documents; so, I decided to pursue the desire and came to London to do theatre costume design. I also built a portfolio of paintings which were well-received, but my real passion was costumes.
How did your specific interest in upcycling start?
Kazakhstan was a part of the Soviet Union, and Soviet Union clothing is very boring, very grim; I wanted to learn how to sew, as all my family members made clothes and had those skills. I always found the construction of clothes fascinating. My first art teacher, in primary school, Genadi Fedorovich Abramov, was an amazing example of someone who used ‘rubbish’ (chopped wood, wood boards, plastic panels, glass) to create beautiful works of art which students decorated with colour. Sometimes, we created little figurines from recycled wood, painted them and made set designs displayed across the school.
What is your favourite part of the upcycling process?
Each stage of the process has its bursts of 'oh my god!'. When I explore a new pile of textiles, it is a real discovery and there is great excitement in finding a gem in the rubbish. Then, when I cut out the shape of a piece, I feel a process of regeneration [as the 'rubbish' becomes 'clothing']. It is amazing to create something out of nothing - well, what others consider to be nothing. The constraint of the textiles fuels my creativity: I have no control over what my materials will be, and this liberates my creative process. Those constraints and limitations unlock the full power of creativity; it helps to avoid the predictability that comes with having all the choices when everything is available.
What do you think of the upcycling practice as it becomes more widespread?
There is a big shift today, with lots of politics and new technologies around 'going green'. For me, upcycling is finding my position in this new context - I encourage everyone to find a niche for themselves.
A lot of your work revolves around performance and dance: do you see a relationship between clothes, fashion, and performance?
When I worked with costumes, I would draw activated, dancing figures - I was inspired by Yves Saint-Laurent’s costume design illustrations, exhibited in 1990s Moscow. I was fascinated by the figures drawn and thought 'I would like to do that!'. Once in the UK, I started a journey of learning Butoh dance, which comes from post-war Japan - the nuclear bombings pushed a rethinking of dancing: after the darkness, was it still worth searching for perfection [like in ballet]? Butoh initially was also called ‘the dance of darkness’, and is an exploration of inwardness, the cycles of life and transitory states of being. It sees all motion as dance, we dance the poetry of life! I always think of how the clothes will look in motion when I build them: how would a person move in them?
Being an artist today can mean using technology in your work: social media, editing software… Do these tools have a place in your work?
For me, technology is for the outward presentation, not the creation. I use social media to share my work, and apps to create and edit films. Although the digital reaches many people, it is a different plane of operation for me. I could make patterns digitally, but I prefer to cut all my patterns freehand, I like that tactility.
How do you balance creativity with making sure you can make a living with your art?
I never thought I would make it past 28 due to my diabetes, so I never had the 'amazing life plan' to sustain myself as an artist. Nonetheless, I do many things today! I run workshops and I am also an artist educator in primary schools. I run classes outside the curriculum, teaching children skills they would not get anywhere else. This is supported by the Bow Arts Trust, which makes creative activity sustainable within communities, creating opportunities to work, learn and enjoy affordable, lifelong access to the arts.
What is next?
I will be showcasing my new wearable art collection during an immersive performance, ‘Wingmakers' Garden’, with the help of many gifted artists. We will mix music, poetry, dance, divination, painting, and sculpture - all in one place. Inspiration comes from all mediums, and we wish to create an event that will inspire others, give them wings. This will be on 16th September, at the Jamboree Venue in King's Cross.
What are your favourite exhibitions currently showing?
I find the Tate Modern a beautiful museum! I also find inspiration in nature and through interactions with others. I really love visiting other artists' open studios (if this resonates with you, why not visit The Royal Academy's Young Artists’ Summer Show?)
Who are the artists to know in the upcycling space?
I am part of the Art in the Docks Collective in East London's Royal Docks. All of us work with recyclables and waste and we do all sorts of things: from making shoes, to wearable art, to organising upcycling workshops and giving people the tools to re-invent at home. Our exhibition 'What a Load of Rubbish' (showing until 27th August) presents all this work!
If the role upcycling can play within the art world interests you, why not visit Liz Magor’s The Rise and the Fall installation in Dublin (until 24th September)? Don't forget to collect your Yamos on the gowithYamo app!
Today’s global goal is simple: how can we reach a net-zero, decarbonised society before we feel climate change’s irreparable effects? This interrogation has affected all aspects of our modern life, from businesses setting up decarbonisation plans, to personal habits shifting to adopt more circular, sustainable modes of consumption.
These questions on the planet’s future are also reaching the art world. Making the practice of art more sustainable, while also using art to discuss our global sustainability challenges are two key avenues being explored by artists around the world.
Yuliya V Krylova is one such artist: discarded fabrics become "wearable art" in Yuliya's upcycling world. Join us as we explore her upcycling world and look forward to her next collection.
We meet Yuliya at the Poplar Union Cafe, overlooking Limehouse Canal in East London's Mile End. The cafe’s walls display Yuliya's work: part of her collection features the cafe’s discarded coffee bags, as well as cut-aways from digital fabric printers (with markings like a fabric’s reference number).
After collecting the fabrics, Yuliya free-hands the cutting and assembling processes, then dyes these fabrics using traditional methods and natural products, such as turmeric, chamomile and even onion peels. To fix the colour, Yuliya uses salt - which once warranted a trip to the Welsh seaside to dip the fabrics in the water! By going against the grain, Yuliya is rediscovering those traditions, "what is already there". Upcycling is a rediscovery.
The clothes are also decorated with delicate single-stroke ink drawings. Yuliya lets her hand lead the way and explore the unconscious, avoiding what she calls "programming", what we think a design 'should' look like. True mastery is then identifying the moment when the design is complete.
So, what started it all: why the focus on clothing?
My first artistic memory was at age 3, in Kazakhstan where I am from. I would draw my dreams, the different realities I saw while asleep. However, I started my career as a finance lawyer, and completed an LLM degree (Master of Laws), although I never liked it - I had this inner desire to be an artist which would make an explosive exit, one way or another. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 16, and I fell into repeated comas. It made me think 'what was my life worth, if I don't wake up tomorrow? If I have one month to live, how do I live this month?'. As a lawyer, I felt I'd leave nothing behind, just piles of documents; so, I decided to pursue the desire and came to London to do theatre costume design. I also built a portfolio of paintings which were well-received, but my real passion was costumes.
How did your specific interest in upcycling start?
Kazakhstan was a part of the Soviet Union, and Soviet Union clothing is very boring, very grim; I wanted to learn how to sew, as all my family members made clothes and had those skills. I always found the construction of clothes fascinating. My first art teacher, in primary school, Genadi Fedorovich Abramov, was an amazing example of someone who used ‘rubbish’ (chopped wood, wood boards, plastic panels, glass) to create beautiful works of art which students decorated with colour. Sometimes, we created little figurines from recycled wood, painted them and made set designs displayed across the school.
What is your favourite part of the upcycling process?
Each stage of the process has its bursts of 'oh my god!'. When I explore a new pile of textiles, it is a real discovery and there is great excitement in finding a gem in the rubbish. Then, when I cut out the shape of a piece, I feel a process of regeneration [as the 'rubbish' becomes 'clothing']. It is amazing to create something out of nothing - well, what others consider to be nothing. The constraint of the textiles fuels my creativity: I have no control over what my materials will be, and this liberates my creative process. Those constraints and limitations unlock the full power of creativity; it helps to avoid the predictability that comes with having all the choices when everything is available.
What do you think of the upcycling practice as it becomes more widespread?
There is a big shift today, with lots of politics and new technologies around 'going green'. For me, upcycling is finding my position in this new context - I encourage everyone to find a niche for themselves.
A lot of your work revolves around performance and dance: do you see a relationship between clothes, fashion, and performance?
When I worked with costumes, I would draw activated, dancing figures - I was inspired by Yves Saint-Laurent’s costume design illustrations, exhibited in 1990s Moscow. I was fascinated by the figures drawn and thought 'I would like to do that!'. Once in the UK, I started a journey of learning Butoh dance, which comes from post-war Japan - the nuclear bombings pushed a rethinking of dancing: after the darkness, was it still worth searching for perfection [like in ballet]? Butoh initially was also called ‘the dance of darkness’, and is an exploration of inwardness, the cycles of life and transitory states of being. It sees all motion as dance, we dance the poetry of life! I always think of how the clothes will look in motion when I build them: how would a person move in them?
Being an artist today can mean using technology in your work: social media, editing software… Do these tools have a place in your work?
For me, technology is for the outward presentation, not the creation. I use social media to share my work, and apps to create and edit films. Although the digital reaches many people, it is a different plane of operation for me. I could make patterns digitally, but I prefer to cut all my patterns freehand, I like that tactility.
How do you balance creativity with making sure you can make a living with your art?
I never thought I would make it past 28 due to my diabetes, so I never had the 'amazing life plan' to sustain myself as an artist. Nonetheless, I do many things today! I run workshops and I am also an artist educator in primary schools. I run classes outside the curriculum, teaching children skills they would not get anywhere else. This is supported by the Bow Arts Trust, which makes creative activity sustainable within communities, creating opportunities to work, learn and enjoy affordable, lifelong access to the arts.
What is next?
I will be showcasing my new wearable art collection during an immersive performance, ‘Wingmakers' Garden’, with the help of many gifted artists. We will mix music, poetry, dance, divination, painting, and sculpture - all in one place. Inspiration comes from all mediums, and we wish to create an event that will inspire others, give them wings. This will be on 16th September, at the Jamboree Venue in King's Cross.
What are your favourite exhibitions currently showing?
I find the Tate Modern a beautiful museum! I also find inspiration in nature and through interactions with others. I really love visiting other artists' open studios (if this resonates with you, why not visit The Royal Academy's Young Artists’ Summer Show?)
Who are the artists to know in the upcycling space?
I am part of the Art in the Docks Collective in East London's Royal Docks. All of us work with recyclables and waste and we do all sorts of things: from making shoes, to wearable art, to organising upcycling workshops and giving people the tools to re-invent at home. Our exhibition 'What a Load of Rubbish' (showing until 27th August) presents all this work!
If the role upcycling can play within the art world interests you, why not visit Liz Magor’s The Rise and the Fall installation in Dublin (until 24th September)? Don't forget to collect your Yamos on the gowithYamo app!
Today’s global goal is simple: how can we reach a net-zero, decarbonised society before we feel climate change’s irreparable effects? This interrogation has affected all aspects of our modern life, from businesses setting up decarbonisation plans, to personal habits shifting to adopt more circular, sustainable modes of consumption.
These questions on the planet’s future are also reaching the art world. Making the practice of art more sustainable, while also using art to discuss our global sustainability challenges are two key avenues being explored by artists around the world.
Yuliya V Krylova is one such artist: discarded fabrics become "wearable art" in Yuliya's upcycling world. Join us as we explore her upcycling world and look forward to her next collection.
We meet Yuliya at the Poplar Union Cafe, overlooking Limehouse Canal in East London's Mile End. The cafe’s walls display Yuliya's work: part of her collection features the cafe’s discarded coffee bags, as well as cut-aways from digital fabric printers (with markings like a fabric’s reference number).
After collecting the fabrics, Yuliya free-hands the cutting and assembling processes, then dyes these fabrics using traditional methods and natural products, such as turmeric, chamomile and even onion peels. To fix the colour, Yuliya uses salt - which once warranted a trip to the Welsh seaside to dip the fabrics in the water! By going against the grain, Yuliya is rediscovering those traditions, "what is already there". Upcycling is a rediscovery.
The clothes are also decorated with delicate single-stroke ink drawings. Yuliya lets her hand lead the way and explore the unconscious, avoiding what she calls "programming", what we think a design 'should' look like. True mastery is then identifying the moment when the design is complete.
So, what started it all: why the focus on clothing?
My first artistic memory was at age 3, in Kazakhstan where I am from. I would draw my dreams, the different realities I saw while asleep. However, I started my career as a finance lawyer, and completed an LLM degree (Master of Laws), although I never liked it - I had this inner desire to be an artist which would make an explosive exit, one way or another. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 16, and I fell into repeated comas. It made me think 'what was my life worth, if I don't wake up tomorrow? If I have one month to live, how do I live this month?'. As a lawyer, I felt I'd leave nothing behind, just piles of documents; so, I decided to pursue the desire and came to London to do theatre costume design. I also built a portfolio of paintings which were well-received, but my real passion was costumes.
How did your specific interest in upcycling start?
Kazakhstan was a part of the Soviet Union, and Soviet Union clothing is very boring, very grim; I wanted to learn how to sew, as all my family members made clothes and had those skills. I always found the construction of clothes fascinating. My first art teacher, in primary school, Genadi Fedorovich Abramov, was an amazing example of someone who used ‘rubbish’ (chopped wood, wood boards, plastic panels, glass) to create beautiful works of art which students decorated with colour. Sometimes, we created little figurines from recycled wood, painted them and made set designs displayed across the school.
What is your favourite part of the upcycling process?
Each stage of the process has its bursts of 'oh my god!'. When I explore a new pile of textiles, it is a real discovery and there is great excitement in finding a gem in the rubbish. Then, when I cut out the shape of a piece, I feel a process of regeneration [as the 'rubbish' becomes 'clothing']. It is amazing to create something out of nothing - well, what others consider to be nothing. The constraint of the textiles fuels my creativity: I have no control over what my materials will be, and this liberates my creative process. Those constraints and limitations unlock the full power of creativity; it helps to avoid the predictability that comes with having all the choices when everything is available.
What do you think of the upcycling practice as it becomes more widespread?
There is a big shift today, with lots of politics and new technologies around 'going green'. For me, upcycling is finding my position in this new context - I encourage everyone to find a niche for themselves.
A lot of your work revolves around performance and dance: do you see a relationship between clothes, fashion, and performance?
When I worked with costumes, I would draw activated, dancing figures - I was inspired by Yves Saint-Laurent’s costume design illustrations, exhibited in 1990s Moscow. I was fascinated by the figures drawn and thought 'I would like to do that!'. Once in the UK, I started a journey of learning Butoh dance, which comes from post-war Japan - the nuclear bombings pushed a rethinking of dancing: after the darkness, was it still worth searching for perfection [like in ballet]? Butoh initially was also called ‘the dance of darkness’, and is an exploration of inwardness, the cycles of life and transitory states of being. It sees all motion as dance, we dance the poetry of life! I always think of how the clothes will look in motion when I build them: how would a person move in them?
Being an artist today can mean using technology in your work: social media, editing software… Do these tools have a place in your work?
For me, technology is for the outward presentation, not the creation. I use social media to share my work, and apps to create and edit films. Although the digital reaches many people, it is a different plane of operation for me. I could make patterns digitally, but I prefer to cut all my patterns freehand, I like that tactility.
How do you balance creativity with making sure you can make a living with your art?
I never thought I would make it past 28 due to my diabetes, so I never had the 'amazing life plan' to sustain myself as an artist. Nonetheless, I do many things today! I run workshops and I am also an artist educator in primary schools. I run classes outside the curriculum, teaching children skills they would not get anywhere else. This is supported by the Bow Arts Trust, which makes creative activity sustainable within communities, creating opportunities to work, learn and enjoy affordable, lifelong access to the arts.
What is next?
I will be showcasing my new wearable art collection during an immersive performance, ‘Wingmakers' Garden’, with the help of many gifted artists. We will mix music, poetry, dance, divination, painting, and sculpture - all in one place. Inspiration comes from all mediums, and we wish to create an event that will inspire others, give them wings. This will be on 16th September, at the Jamboree Venue in King's Cross.
What are your favourite exhibitions currently showing?
I find the Tate Modern a beautiful museum! I also find inspiration in nature and through interactions with others. I really love visiting other artists' open studios (if this resonates with you, why not visit The Royal Academy's Young Artists’ Summer Show?)
Who are the artists to know in the upcycling space?
I am part of the Art in the Docks Collective in East London's Royal Docks. All of us work with recyclables and waste and we do all sorts of things: from making shoes, to wearable art, to organising upcycling workshops and giving people the tools to re-invent at home. Our exhibition 'What a Load of Rubbish' (showing until 27th August) presents all this work!
If the role upcycling can play within the art world interests you, why not visit Liz Magor’s The Rise and the Fall installation in Dublin (until 24th September)? Don't forget to collect your Yamos on the gowithYamo app!
Today’s global goal is simple: how can we reach a net-zero, decarbonised society before we feel climate change’s irreparable effects? This interrogation has affected all aspects of our modern life, from businesses setting up decarbonisation plans, to personal habits shifting to adopt more circular, sustainable modes of consumption.
These questions on the planet’s future are also reaching the art world. Making the practice of art more sustainable, while also using art to discuss our global sustainability challenges are two key avenues being explored by artists around the world.
Yuliya V Krylova is one such artist: discarded fabrics become "wearable art" in Yuliya's upcycling world. Join us as we explore her upcycling world and look forward to her next collection.
We meet Yuliya at the Poplar Union Cafe, overlooking Limehouse Canal in East London's Mile End. The cafe’s walls display Yuliya's work: part of her collection features the cafe’s discarded coffee bags, as well as cut-aways from digital fabric printers (with markings like a fabric’s reference number).
After collecting the fabrics, Yuliya free-hands the cutting and assembling processes, then dyes these fabrics using traditional methods and natural products, such as turmeric, chamomile and even onion peels. To fix the colour, Yuliya uses salt - which once warranted a trip to the Welsh seaside to dip the fabrics in the water! By going against the grain, Yuliya is rediscovering those traditions, "what is already there". Upcycling is a rediscovery.
The clothes are also decorated with delicate single-stroke ink drawings. Yuliya lets her hand lead the way and explore the unconscious, avoiding what she calls "programming", what we think a design 'should' look like. True mastery is then identifying the moment when the design is complete.
So, what started it all: why the focus on clothing?
My first artistic memory was at age 3, in Kazakhstan where I am from. I would draw my dreams, the different realities I saw while asleep. However, I started my career as a finance lawyer, and completed an LLM degree (Master of Laws), although I never liked it - I had this inner desire to be an artist which would make an explosive exit, one way or another. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 16, and I fell into repeated comas. It made me think 'what was my life worth, if I don't wake up tomorrow? If I have one month to live, how do I live this month?'. As a lawyer, I felt I'd leave nothing behind, just piles of documents; so, I decided to pursue the desire and came to London to do theatre costume design. I also built a portfolio of paintings which were well-received, but my real passion was costumes.
How did your specific interest in upcycling start?
Kazakhstan was a part of the Soviet Union, and Soviet Union clothing is very boring, very grim; I wanted to learn how to sew, as all my family members made clothes and had those skills. I always found the construction of clothes fascinating. My first art teacher, in primary school, Genadi Fedorovich Abramov, was an amazing example of someone who used ‘rubbish’ (chopped wood, wood boards, plastic panels, glass) to create beautiful works of art which students decorated with colour. Sometimes, we created little figurines from recycled wood, painted them and made set designs displayed across the school.
What is your favourite part of the upcycling process?
Each stage of the process has its bursts of 'oh my god!'. When I explore a new pile of textiles, it is a real discovery and there is great excitement in finding a gem in the rubbish. Then, when I cut out the shape of a piece, I feel a process of regeneration [as the 'rubbish' becomes 'clothing']. It is amazing to create something out of nothing - well, what others consider to be nothing. The constraint of the textiles fuels my creativity: I have no control over what my materials will be, and this liberates my creative process. Those constraints and limitations unlock the full power of creativity; it helps to avoid the predictability that comes with having all the choices when everything is available.
What do you think of the upcycling practice as it becomes more widespread?
There is a big shift today, with lots of politics and new technologies around 'going green'. For me, upcycling is finding my position in this new context - I encourage everyone to find a niche for themselves.
A lot of your work revolves around performance and dance: do you see a relationship between clothes, fashion, and performance?
When I worked with costumes, I would draw activated, dancing figures - I was inspired by Yves Saint-Laurent’s costume design illustrations, exhibited in 1990s Moscow. I was fascinated by the figures drawn and thought 'I would like to do that!'. Once in the UK, I started a journey of learning Butoh dance, which comes from post-war Japan - the nuclear bombings pushed a rethinking of dancing: after the darkness, was it still worth searching for perfection [like in ballet]? Butoh initially was also called ‘the dance of darkness’, and is an exploration of inwardness, the cycles of life and transitory states of being. It sees all motion as dance, we dance the poetry of life! I always think of how the clothes will look in motion when I build them: how would a person move in them?
Being an artist today can mean using technology in your work: social media, editing software… Do these tools have a place in your work?
For me, technology is for the outward presentation, not the creation. I use social media to share my work, and apps to create and edit films. Although the digital reaches many people, it is a different plane of operation for me. I could make patterns digitally, but I prefer to cut all my patterns freehand, I like that tactility.
How do you balance creativity with making sure you can make a living with your art?
I never thought I would make it past 28 due to my diabetes, so I never had the 'amazing life plan' to sustain myself as an artist. Nonetheless, I do many things today! I run workshops and I am also an artist educator in primary schools. I run classes outside the curriculum, teaching children skills they would not get anywhere else. This is supported by the Bow Arts Trust, which makes creative activity sustainable within communities, creating opportunities to work, learn and enjoy affordable, lifelong access to the arts.
What is next?
I will be showcasing my new wearable art collection during an immersive performance, ‘Wingmakers' Garden’, with the help of many gifted artists. We will mix music, poetry, dance, divination, painting, and sculpture - all in one place. Inspiration comes from all mediums, and we wish to create an event that will inspire others, give them wings. This will be on 16th September, at the Jamboree Venue in King's Cross.
What are your favourite exhibitions currently showing?
I find the Tate Modern a beautiful museum! I also find inspiration in nature and through interactions with others. I really love visiting other artists' open studios (if this resonates with you, why not visit The Royal Academy's Young Artists’ Summer Show?)
Who are the artists to know in the upcycling space?
I am part of the Art in the Docks Collective in East London's Royal Docks. All of us work with recyclables and waste and we do all sorts of things: from making shoes, to wearable art, to organising upcycling workshops and giving people the tools to re-invent at home. Our exhibition 'What a Load of Rubbish' (showing until 27th August) presents all this work!
If the role upcycling can play within the art world interests you, why not visit Liz Magor’s The Rise and the Fall installation in Dublin (until 24th September)? Don't forget to collect your Yamos on the gowithYamo app!
Today’s global goal is simple: how can we reach a net-zero, decarbonised society before we feel climate change’s irreparable effects? This interrogation has affected all aspects of our modern life, from businesses setting up decarbonisation plans, to personal habits shifting to adopt more circular, sustainable modes of consumption.
These questions on the planet’s future are also reaching the art world. Making the practice of art more sustainable, while also using art to discuss our global sustainability challenges are two key avenues being explored by artists around the world.
Yuliya V Krylova is one such artist: discarded fabrics become "wearable art" in Yuliya's upcycling world. Join us as we explore her upcycling world and look forward to her next collection.
We meet Yuliya at the Poplar Union Cafe, overlooking Limehouse Canal in East London's Mile End. The cafe’s walls display Yuliya's work: part of her collection features the cafe’s discarded coffee bags, as well as cut-aways from digital fabric printers (with markings like a fabric’s reference number).
After collecting the fabrics, Yuliya free-hands the cutting and assembling processes, then dyes these fabrics using traditional methods and natural products, such as turmeric, chamomile and even onion peels. To fix the colour, Yuliya uses salt - which once warranted a trip to the Welsh seaside to dip the fabrics in the water! By going against the grain, Yuliya is rediscovering those traditions, "what is already there". Upcycling is a rediscovery.
The clothes are also decorated with delicate single-stroke ink drawings. Yuliya lets her hand lead the way and explore the unconscious, avoiding what she calls "programming", what we think a design 'should' look like. True mastery is then identifying the moment when the design is complete.
So, what started it all: why the focus on clothing?
My first artistic memory was at age 3, in Kazakhstan where I am from. I would draw my dreams, the different realities I saw while asleep. However, I started my career as a finance lawyer, and completed an LLM degree (Master of Laws), although I never liked it - I had this inner desire to be an artist which would make an explosive exit, one way or another. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 16, and I fell into repeated comas. It made me think 'what was my life worth, if I don't wake up tomorrow? If I have one month to live, how do I live this month?'. As a lawyer, I felt I'd leave nothing behind, just piles of documents; so, I decided to pursue the desire and came to London to do theatre costume design. I also built a portfolio of paintings which were well-received, but my real passion was costumes.
How did your specific interest in upcycling start?
Kazakhstan was a part of the Soviet Union, and Soviet Union clothing is very boring, very grim; I wanted to learn how to sew, as all my family members made clothes and had those skills. I always found the construction of clothes fascinating. My first art teacher, in primary school, Genadi Fedorovich Abramov, was an amazing example of someone who used ‘rubbish’ (chopped wood, wood boards, plastic panels, glass) to create beautiful works of art which students decorated with colour. Sometimes, we created little figurines from recycled wood, painted them and made set designs displayed across the school.
What is your favourite part of the upcycling process?
Each stage of the process has its bursts of 'oh my god!'. When I explore a new pile of textiles, it is a real discovery and there is great excitement in finding a gem in the rubbish. Then, when I cut out the shape of a piece, I feel a process of regeneration [as the 'rubbish' becomes 'clothing']. It is amazing to create something out of nothing - well, what others consider to be nothing. The constraint of the textiles fuels my creativity: I have no control over what my materials will be, and this liberates my creative process. Those constraints and limitations unlock the full power of creativity; it helps to avoid the predictability that comes with having all the choices when everything is available.
What do you think of the upcycling practice as it becomes more widespread?
There is a big shift today, with lots of politics and new technologies around 'going green'. For me, upcycling is finding my position in this new context - I encourage everyone to find a niche for themselves.
A lot of your work revolves around performance and dance: do you see a relationship between clothes, fashion, and performance?
When I worked with costumes, I would draw activated, dancing figures - I was inspired by Yves Saint-Laurent’s costume design illustrations, exhibited in 1990s Moscow. I was fascinated by the figures drawn and thought 'I would like to do that!'. Once in the UK, I started a journey of learning Butoh dance, which comes from post-war Japan - the nuclear bombings pushed a rethinking of dancing: after the darkness, was it still worth searching for perfection [like in ballet]? Butoh initially was also called ‘the dance of darkness’, and is an exploration of inwardness, the cycles of life and transitory states of being. It sees all motion as dance, we dance the poetry of life! I always think of how the clothes will look in motion when I build them: how would a person move in them?
Being an artist today can mean using technology in your work: social media, editing software… Do these tools have a place in your work?
For me, technology is for the outward presentation, not the creation. I use social media to share my work, and apps to create and edit films. Although the digital reaches many people, it is a different plane of operation for me. I could make patterns digitally, but I prefer to cut all my patterns freehand, I like that tactility.
How do you balance creativity with making sure you can make a living with your art?
I never thought I would make it past 28 due to my diabetes, so I never had the 'amazing life plan' to sustain myself as an artist. Nonetheless, I do many things today! I run workshops and I am also an artist educator in primary schools. I run classes outside the curriculum, teaching children skills they would not get anywhere else. This is supported by the Bow Arts Trust, which makes creative activity sustainable within communities, creating opportunities to work, learn and enjoy affordable, lifelong access to the arts.
What is next?
I will be showcasing my new wearable art collection during an immersive performance, ‘Wingmakers' Garden’, with the help of many gifted artists. We will mix music, poetry, dance, divination, painting, and sculpture - all in one place. Inspiration comes from all mediums, and we wish to create an event that will inspire others, give them wings. This will be on 16th September, at the Jamboree Venue in King's Cross.
What are your favourite exhibitions currently showing?
I find the Tate Modern a beautiful museum! I also find inspiration in nature and through interactions with others. I really love visiting other artists' open studios (if this resonates with you, why not visit The Royal Academy's Young Artists’ Summer Show?)
Who are the artists to know in the upcycling space?
I am part of the Art in the Docks Collective in East London's Royal Docks. All of us work with recyclables and waste and we do all sorts of things: from making shoes, to wearable art, to organising upcycling workshops and giving people the tools to re-invent at home. Our exhibition 'What a Load of Rubbish' (showing until 27th August) presents all this work!
If the role upcycling can play within the art world interests you, why not visit Liz Magor’s The Rise and the Fall installation in Dublin (until 24th September)? Don't forget to collect your Yamos on the gowithYamo app!
Today’s global goal is simple: how can we reach a net-zero, decarbonised society before we feel climate change’s irreparable effects? This interrogation has affected all aspects of our modern life, from businesses setting up decarbonisation plans, to personal habits shifting to adopt more circular, sustainable modes of consumption.
These questions on the planet’s future are also reaching the art world. Making the practice of art more sustainable, while also using art to discuss our global sustainability challenges are two key avenues being explored by artists around the world.
Yuliya V Krylova is one such artist: discarded fabrics become "wearable art" in Yuliya's upcycling world. Join us as we explore her upcycling world and look forward to her next collection.
We meet Yuliya at the Poplar Union Cafe, overlooking Limehouse Canal in East London's Mile End. The cafe’s walls display Yuliya's work: part of her collection features the cafe’s discarded coffee bags, as well as cut-aways from digital fabric printers (with markings like a fabric’s reference number).
After collecting the fabrics, Yuliya free-hands the cutting and assembling processes, then dyes these fabrics using traditional methods and natural products, such as turmeric, chamomile and even onion peels. To fix the colour, Yuliya uses salt - which once warranted a trip to the Welsh seaside to dip the fabrics in the water! By going against the grain, Yuliya is rediscovering those traditions, "what is already there". Upcycling is a rediscovery.
The clothes are also decorated with delicate single-stroke ink drawings. Yuliya lets her hand lead the way and explore the unconscious, avoiding what she calls "programming", what we think a design 'should' look like. True mastery is then identifying the moment when the design is complete.
So, what started it all: why the focus on clothing?
My first artistic memory was at age 3, in Kazakhstan where I am from. I would draw my dreams, the different realities I saw while asleep. However, I started my career as a finance lawyer, and completed an LLM degree (Master of Laws), although I never liked it - I had this inner desire to be an artist which would make an explosive exit, one way or another. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 16, and I fell into repeated comas. It made me think 'what was my life worth, if I don't wake up tomorrow? If I have one month to live, how do I live this month?'. As a lawyer, I felt I'd leave nothing behind, just piles of documents; so, I decided to pursue the desire and came to London to do theatre costume design. I also built a portfolio of paintings which were well-received, but my real passion was costumes.
How did your specific interest in upcycling start?
Kazakhstan was a part of the Soviet Union, and Soviet Union clothing is very boring, very grim; I wanted to learn how to sew, as all my family members made clothes and had those skills. I always found the construction of clothes fascinating. My first art teacher, in primary school, Genadi Fedorovich Abramov, was an amazing example of someone who used ‘rubbish’ (chopped wood, wood boards, plastic panels, glass) to create beautiful works of art which students decorated with colour. Sometimes, we created little figurines from recycled wood, painted them and made set designs displayed across the school.
What is your favourite part of the upcycling process?
Each stage of the process has its bursts of 'oh my god!'. When I explore a new pile of textiles, it is a real discovery and there is great excitement in finding a gem in the rubbish. Then, when I cut out the shape of a piece, I feel a process of regeneration [as the 'rubbish' becomes 'clothing']. It is amazing to create something out of nothing - well, what others consider to be nothing. The constraint of the textiles fuels my creativity: I have no control over what my materials will be, and this liberates my creative process. Those constraints and limitations unlock the full power of creativity; it helps to avoid the predictability that comes with having all the choices when everything is available.
What do you think of the upcycling practice as it becomes more widespread?
There is a big shift today, with lots of politics and new technologies around 'going green'. For me, upcycling is finding my position in this new context - I encourage everyone to find a niche for themselves.
A lot of your work revolves around performance and dance: do you see a relationship between clothes, fashion, and performance?
When I worked with costumes, I would draw activated, dancing figures - I was inspired by Yves Saint-Laurent’s costume design illustrations, exhibited in 1990s Moscow. I was fascinated by the figures drawn and thought 'I would like to do that!'. Once in the UK, I started a journey of learning Butoh dance, which comes from post-war Japan - the nuclear bombings pushed a rethinking of dancing: after the darkness, was it still worth searching for perfection [like in ballet]? Butoh initially was also called ‘the dance of darkness’, and is an exploration of inwardness, the cycles of life and transitory states of being. It sees all motion as dance, we dance the poetry of life! I always think of how the clothes will look in motion when I build them: how would a person move in them?
Being an artist today can mean using technology in your work: social media, editing software… Do these tools have a place in your work?
For me, technology is for the outward presentation, not the creation. I use social media to share my work, and apps to create and edit films. Although the digital reaches many people, it is a different plane of operation for me. I could make patterns digitally, but I prefer to cut all my patterns freehand, I like that tactility.
How do you balance creativity with making sure you can make a living with your art?
I never thought I would make it past 28 due to my diabetes, so I never had the 'amazing life plan' to sustain myself as an artist. Nonetheless, I do many things today! I run workshops and I am also an artist educator in primary schools. I run classes outside the curriculum, teaching children skills they would not get anywhere else. This is supported by the Bow Arts Trust, which makes creative activity sustainable within communities, creating opportunities to work, learn and enjoy affordable, lifelong access to the arts.
What is next?
I will be showcasing my new wearable art collection during an immersive performance, ‘Wingmakers' Garden’, with the help of many gifted artists. We will mix music, poetry, dance, divination, painting, and sculpture - all in one place. Inspiration comes from all mediums, and we wish to create an event that will inspire others, give them wings. This will be on 16th September, at the Jamboree Venue in King's Cross.
What are your favourite exhibitions currently showing?
I find the Tate Modern a beautiful museum! I also find inspiration in nature and through interactions with others. I really love visiting other artists' open studios (if this resonates with you, why not visit The Royal Academy's Young Artists’ Summer Show?)
Who are the artists to know in the upcycling space?
I am part of the Art in the Docks Collective in East London's Royal Docks. All of us work with recyclables and waste and we do all sorts of things: from making shoes, to wearable art, to organising upcycling workshops and giving people the tools to re-invent at home. Our exhibition 'What a Load of Rubbish' (showing until 27th August) presents all this work!
If the role upcycling can play within the art world interests you, why not visit Liz Magor’s The Rise and the Fall installation in Dublin (until 24th September)? Don't forget to collect your Yamos on the gowithYamo app!
Today’s global goal is simple: how can we reach a net-zero, decarbonised society before we feel climate change’s irreparable effects? This interrogation has affected all aspects of our modern life, from businesses setting up decarbonisation plans, to personal habits shifting to adopt more circular, sustainable modes of consumption.
These questions on the planet’s future are also reaching the art world. Making the practice of art more sustainable, while also using art to discuss our global sustainability challenges are two key avenues being explored by artists around the world.
Yuliya V Krylova is one such artist: discarded fabrics become "wearable art" in Yuliya's upcycling world. Join us as we explore her upcycling world and look forward to her next collection.
We meet Yuliya at the Poplar Union Cafe, overlooking Limehouse Canal in East London's Mile End. The cafe’s walls display Yuliya's work: part of her collection features the cafe’s discarded coffee bags, as well as cut-aways from digital fabric printers (with markings like a fabric’s reference number).
After collecting the fabrics, Yuliya free-hands the cutting and assembling processes, then dyes these fabrics using traditional methods and natural products, such as turmeric, chamomile and even onion peels. To fix the colour, Yuliya uses salt - which once warranted a trip to the Welsh seaside to dip the fabrics in the water! By going against the grain, Yuliya is rediscovering those traditions, "what is already there". Upcycling is a rediscovery.
The clothes are also decorated with delicate single-stroke ink drawings. Yuliya lets her hand lead the way and explore the unconscious, avoiding what she calls "programming", what we think a design 'should' look like. True mastery is then identifying the moment when the design is complete.
So, what started it all: why the focus on clothing?
My first artistic memory was at age 3, in Kazakhstan where I am from. I would draw my dreams, the different realities I saw while asleep. However, I started my career as a finance lawyer, and completed an LLM degree (Master of Laws), although I never liked it - I had this inner desire to be an artist which would make an explosive exit, one way or another. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 16, and I fell into repeated comas. It made me think 'what was my life worth, if I don't wake up tomorrow? If I have one month to live, how do I live this month?'. As a lawyer, I felt I'd leave nothing behind, just piles of documents; so, I decided to pursue the desire and came to London to do theatre costume design. I also built a portfolio of paintings which were well-received, but my real passion was costumes.
How did your specific interest in upcycling start?
Kazakhstan was a part of the Soviet Union, and Soviet Union clothing is very boring, very grim; I wanted to learn how to sew, as all my family members made clothes and had those skills. I always found the construction of clothes fascinating. My first art teacher, in primary school, Genadi Fedorovich Abramov, was an amazing example of someone who used ‘rubbish’ (chopped wood, wood boards, plastic panels, glass) to create beautiful works of art which students decorated with colour. Sometimes, we created little figurines from recycled wood, painted them and made set designs displayed across the school.
What is your favourite part of the upcycling process?
Each stage of the process has its bursts of 'oh my god!'. When I explore a new pile of textiles, it is a real discovery and there is great excitement in finding a gem in the rubbish. Then, when I cut out the shape of a piece, I feel a process of regeneration [as the 'rubbish' becomes 'clothing']. It is amazing to create something out of nothing - well, what others consider to be nothing. The constraint of the textiles fuels my creativity: I have no control over what my materials will be, and this liberates my creative process. Those constraints and limitations unlock the full power of creativity; it helps to avoid the predictability that comes with having all the choices when everything is available.
What do you think of the upcycling practice as it becomes more widespread?
There is a big shift today, with lots of politics and new technologies around 'going green'. For me, upcycling is finding my position in this new context - I encourage everyone to find a niche for themselves.
A lot of your work revolves around performance and dance: do you see a relationship between clothes, fashion, and performance?
When I worked with costumes, I would draw activated, dancing figures - I was inspired by Yves Saint-Laurent’s costume design illustrations, exhibited in 1990s Moscow. I was fascinated by the figures drawn and thought 'I would like to do that!'. Once in the UK, I started a journey of learning Butoh dance, which comes from post-war Japan - the nuclear bombings pushed a rethinking of dancing: after the darkness, was it still worth searching for perfection [like in ballet]? Butoh initially was also called ‘the dance of darkness’, and is an exploration of inwardness, the cycles of life and transitory states of being. It sees all motion as dance, we dance the poetry of life! I always think of how the clothes will look in motion when I build them: how would a person move in them?
Being an artist today can mean using technology in your work: social media, editing software… Do these tools have a place in your work?
For me, technology is for the outward presentation, not the creation. I use social media to share my work, and apps to create and edit films. Although the digital reaches many people, it is a different plane of operation for me. I could make patterns digitally, but I prefer to cut all my patterns freehand, I like that tactility.
How do you balance creativity with making sure you can make a living with your art?
I never thought I would make it past 28 due to my diabetes, so I never had the 'amazing life plan' to sustain myself as an artist. Nonetheless, I do many things today! I run workshops and I am also an artist educator in primary schools. I run classes outside the curriculum, teaching children skills they would not get anywhere else. This is supported by the Bow Arts Trust, which makes creative activity sustainable within communities, creating opportunities to work, learn and enjoy affordable, lifelong access to the arts.
What is next?
I will be showcasing my new wearable art collection during an immersive performance, ‘Wingmakers' Garden’, with the help of many gifted artists. We will mix music, poetry, dance, divination, painting, and sculpture - all in one place. Inspiration comes from all mediums, and we wish to create an event that will inspire others, give them wings. This will be on 16th September, at the Jamboree Venue in King's Cross.
What are your favourite exhibitions currently showing?
I find the Tate Modern a beautiful museum! I also find inspiration in nature and through interactions with others. I really love visiting other artists' open studios (if this resonates with you, why not visit The Royal Academy's Young Artists’ Summer Show?)
Who are the artists to know in the upcycling space?
I am part of the Art in the Docks Collective in East London's Royal Docks. All of us work with recyclables and waste and we do all sorts of things: from making shoes, to wearable art, to organising upcycling workshops and giving people the tools to re-invent at home. Our exhibition 'What a Load of Rubbish' (showing until 27th August) presents all this work!
If the role upcycling can play within the art world interests you, why not visit Liz Magor’s The Rise and the Fall installation in Dublin (until 24th September)? Don't forget to collect your Yamos on the gowithYamo app!
