Ara Youn

Ara Youn is a Korean artist based in the UK. She has spent nearly half her life in South Korea and the other half in the UK.

Her creative journey began early, with colour as a constant companion—she coloured anything within reach. This passion led her to a decade-long career in graphic design, and she once believed she would remain a graphic designer for life. But her fascination with the tactile nature of textiles, something graphic design couldn’t offer, drew her into the fashion industry. She became a womenswear designer and entrepreneur, an experience that continues to influence her current artworks.

For Ara, painting is a visual report of self-exploration. She realised that within her—just as within everyone—there is a sea of unseen emotions and unspoken words that call for expression. Painting allows her to articulate what cannot be put into words.

2009 - 2010 M.A Graphic Design, University of the Arts London
2007 - 2009 FdA Visual Communication, University of the Arts London
2005 - 2006 Communication Design, Samsung Art and Design Institute (SADI), South Korea
1998 - 2000 Textile Art, Kyungwon University, South Korea

Exhibitions
2025 The Lido Open, UK
2025 Do Androids Dream, Oriel Croesor, UK
2024 BEEP Painting Biennial group exhibition, Elysium Gallery, UK

Awards
2025 Short-listed, The Lido Open
2024 Long-listed, BEEP Painting Biennial
2007 1st Prize, Penguin Book Design Award