Born and educated in Moscow, Yulia has been living and working in Almaty, Kazakhstan for the last three years. After graduating from Moscow State University, she worked as the editor-in-chief of glossy magazines, launched media projects, and produced events. 'I postponed my artistic career until I felt I had something to say, despite dreaming of being an artist since childhood. It was a conscious choice, despite the art world’s emphasis on youth.’
Her artistic practice is dedicated to exploring the social environment and collective memory, as well as the interaction between two worlds— the imaginary and the physical. “The Forgotten Language” is what Fromm called the cipher of dreams, and although this language is forgotten, it is extremely vivid. The artist also uses traditional symbols and folk ornaments, giving them unexpected meanings and sounds. The detailed depiction of typically Russian realities, such as abandoned villages and metal garage complexes, grounds the surreal elements in a tangible context.
Yulia’s works are characterized by subtle humor towards her characters.
The author is undoubtedly present in each piece— looking into the past with hope for the future. This presence and immersion make pieces exceptionally sincere. She often places familiar things behind dreamlike elements, challenging the viewer’s perception of reality: the documentary is blended with the fantastical, solitude meets dreamscape. This approach sends the viewer back to Fromm’s words: the feelings in a dream relate not to the explicit content, but to the thoughts hidden behind the dream. Almost all the characters in Kerner’s works are faceless—there is no way to identify them, capture their mood, or emotions.
This duality creates a tension that draws the viewer into a contemplative state, reflecting on social isolation.
This blend of the real and the surreal, the past and the present, gives Yulia’s work a unique and compelling quality. Her refined graphics and intellectual tension bring a special elegance to contemporary art.
Her artistic practice is dedicated to exploring the social environment and collective memory, as well as the interaction between two worlds— the imaginary and the physical. “The Forgotten Language” is what Fromm called the cipher of dreams, and although this language is forgotten, it is extremely vivid. The artist also uses traditional symbols and folk ornaments, giving them unexpected meanings and sounds. The detailed depiction of typically Russian realities, such as abandoned villages and metal garage complexes, grounds the surreal elements in a tangible context.
Yulia’s works are characterized by subtle humor towards her characters.
The author is undoubtedly present in each piece— looking into the past with hope for the future. This presence and immersion make pieces exceptionally sincere. She often places familiar things behind dreamlike elements, challenging the viewer’s perception of reality: the documentary is blended with the fantastical, solitude meets dreamscape. This approach sends the viewer back to Fromm’s words: the feelings in a dream relate not to the explicit content, but to the thoughts hidden behind the dream. Almost all the characters in Kerner’s works are faceless—there is no way to identify them, capture their mood, or emotions.
This duality creates a tension that draws the viewer into a contemplative state, reflecting on social isolation.
This blend of the real and the surreal, the past and the present, gives Yulia’s work a unique and compelling quality. Her refined graphics and intellectual tension bring a special elegance to contemporary art.
Yulia Kerner