Julie Kluh

In my twenties I wanted to escape society, I felt like I would never make it. I was full of angst and wanted to leave it all behind. I was living on my small sailboat in California to avoid high rent and dreamed of remote islands.

What started as an escape route to the sea, lead me to self-discovery and transformation of fear. For ten years I sailed the Pacific Ocean, surfing, and exploring. Its relentless power demanded that I face my deepest fears and insecurities head-on.

Since I was a child, creating art brought me so much joy but I was afraid to even say I was an artist. The ocean showed me everything is fluid and constantly changing. I learned the storms and calms were just moments in time, and I began to trust. The ocean heals in unexplainable ways!

Through my art, my intent is to help others heal, sharing the ocean's resilience and power to soothe souls and offer hope. This is why I make the artwork I make today.

BFA University of Washington, 2006