Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Yuli Aloni Primor. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Yuli , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
My work is all about risk taking. I never fully realized the extent of this until this past year. In 2019 after a ten year career in Tel Aviv I decided to relocate back to my home town in New York where I knew my art belonged. I scanned my sculptures in a 3D program, put them on a usb, packed a suitcase and got a one way ticket to New York. My mentor recommended I enroll in the School of Visual Arts in the MFA program to have a softer landing and with a scholarship grant I graduated in 2023. During my studies I developed new methods to make the kind of art I love through 3D printing. For my show in the Opening Gallery on 42 Walker St and for the Spring/ Break Art Fair I was able to make mutations of my large scale sculptures that I left in Tel Aviv through 3D printing and new fabrication techniques I developed. My sculptures always deal with a sense of risk and danger in several ways. Formalistically they play with balance, teetering on the edge yet stand sturdy and strong. Thematically I am drawn to subversive forms of storytelling that challenge the viewers’ concept of the female experience. And while technique, process, and themes vary – I usually have very little time to make the pieces and each piece is made in a way that’s never been done before, and I’ve never missed a deadline. I love the adrenaline of innovation and risk, and it’s why I love New York. My last project I had the opportunity to collaborate with Social House Cafe in Williamsburg for Valentines Day. It was an inaugural event that marked the beginning of a set of pop ups that include the launching of new art collectibles, including smaller 3D printed sculptures and limited edition prints and a performance piece. I scanned my arm in a high def 3D scanner and 3D printed a mold to make candy out of Hibiscus, Rose water, and sugar. The result was Arm-candy lollipops. I’ve never made edible art before, nor 3D printed molds, especially not of 3d scans of my body! I had 4 days to find out if this process is going to work with invitations already going out. I wanted people to “eat me” exploring the power dynamics between viewer and artist in an exhibition place. People loved it, it’s playful and makes you ask questions about where we place meaning and value in a culture of consumption, display, and objectification. I’m lucky to always have a very loving and supportive community by my side.
Yuli , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I come from a family deeply rooted in the arts; my parents, visual artists and filmmakers, founded a gallery and later established Megaart, a business that creatively utilized large format digital printing for advertising on buildings, collaborating with brands. From seeing their shows exhibited in museums to going with them to film festivals internationally, I witnessed their versatility and it showed me that artists can wear many hats. This malleability allows me to work across various industries, bringing a unique perspective.
As an interdisciplinary artist, my studio practice is my primary focus, encompassing sculpture, drawings, video art, and paintings rooted in drawing. I really love drawing and painting. I love the intimacy, it acts both as a conduit to sculptures and as a self reflection device. I have been drawing since I remember myself and have millions of drawings in my studio – I thrive on studio visits when I can show the unpolished work. When the art is still in the raw phase I like to bring in artists, curators, and mentors to have an intimate conversation on where the art can go. Gallerists, collectors and dealers are invited when I feel more confident in the work. The process is very delicate and it’s hard to be in that vulnerable place with everyone.
Since returning to New York two years ago, I delved into interactive art and 3D technology, rethinking both my identity as a woman and as an artist in the 21st century. I began creating limited edition 2D and 3D prints, each one slightly different, a nuance unachievable through casting work.
I engage in satellite projects that cross-pollinate industries, collaborating with artists I admire, forming creative collectives per project. Raised with a strong sense of social awareness and the importance of individual voices in our community, thanks to my grandmother who was a minister of education and culture in the government of Rabin in Israel, I aim to contribute meaningfully to my community through art.
Having experience in sculpture, painting, art history, art criticism, directing, and producing complex projects from film to art events, I’ve developed adaptable methods that meet diverse needs.
I work with cutting-edge technologies that I learned in my MFA and developed post-graduation. I am committed to pro-ecology initiatives in the commercial world, including collaborative projects raising awareness about gun violence through art, highlighting their environmental impact.
My work extends to producing limited edition prints and art collectibles, democratizing art consumption. I also conduct private workshops on art-making, portfolio advising and creative exercises for teams, fostering critical thinking through creative practices. I’ve undertaken commissioned projects, such as turning one of my drawings into a glass vitrage for a luxury home, and I aim to continue collaborating with companies and individuals seeking public or private art.
In my quest to reimagine the art model, I envision a business partner who acts as a gallery and dealer, overseeing all my satellite projects. Currently, I’m engaged in several collaborations, aiming to expand my artistic horizons and influence.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Last year, when my art professor visited my show, we talked about how overwhelming it can get trying to juggle everything. Still in grad school and recently back in New York after years abroad, there was so much behind-the-scenes work to do that often goes unnoticed. The sleepless nights, the failed experiments. My professor likened art school to medical school. It’s not always obvious, but it’s true. Art takes resilience and perseverance – and commitment.
Supporting artists and creatives is essential for a thriving democracy and any culture that values the humanities and inclusive critical discourse. As a culture, we want to thrive, not just survive. Art gives life meaning, so it is essential for society to prioritize a healthy cultural ecosystem by empowering living artists.
Workshops and programs that focus on collecting art or art advising, should include artists’ voices in these panels. To avoid a conservative art world, societies must support artists’ authentic visions by including them in opportunities where decision making and taste making occurs.
Constant applications and polished elevator pitches can distance the artist from doing what they love best – making art. So how do we get artists to have more time in the studio? Having a steady income can nurture valuable studio time. By valuing artists time and creating innovative opportunities along with more faith in artists abilities will benefit businesses that rely on creatives for innovation. The higher the risk you take with an artist the sweeter the reward. Inviting artists to do residencies in more corporate settings, for example, can help artists financially while helping businesses such as tech startups think outside the box and leverage them in a competitive market. For instance, artists are uniquely positioned to integrate AI with their perspective – they find ways to integrate different industries in effective ways, society needs to make it easier for that to happen.
More philanthropic investment in emerging visual artists will be beneficial, as well as providing support for healthcare, family care, and financial management. Workshops from artists’ perspectives should expand beyond the art world to reach both collectors and businesses alike, fostering creative strategies and problem-solving. Collaboration is essential, but we should not compromise artists’ personal voices.
Investing in living artists ensures a constant flow of quality and honest work while nurturing artists’ talents.The more platforms that help artists with sales and distributions and the more collaborations of businesses with and patronage of the arts can create a blooming culture – especially in cities like NYC. I also believe there needs to be more mentoring programs implemented, as mentorship plays a vital role in an artist’s journey.
Creativity can come from play and love, we want to replace the romantic notion of the artist as a suffering vulnerable creature with an individual that is empowered and valued. Artists employ deep emotions and thoughts, and aim to evoke feelings, promote empathy, and contribute to a more compassionate society while overcoming personal conflicts, bringing important issues to the public domain – understanding and valuing an artists role through support in financial security would greatly contribute to a thriving ecosystem.
I also believe art should be seen less as a trend or merely a stylistic and aesthetic endeavor. Encouraging authentic art making and putting less value on market trends allows artists to be pioneers in the creative field and today more than ever we need to see the potential of creative abilities or AI will beat us to it. Movements like Me Too and BLM have influenced the arts through disruptive calls for action, but more progress is needed. Increasing support for female identifying artists and addressing the wage gap as well as bringing more attention to women’s issues fosters a more equitable society.
I also believe education is crucial; everyone in the arts, as well as collectors and gallerists, would benefit from knowledge of art history and art criticism – there are many artists out there that can provide that knowledge. Art is a serious job, as much as there is joy in the creative work, there is also a lot of struggle. There’s a reason why many artists love the NFT model – resale rights, having transparency.
We still have a way to go to make sure artists have agency and their narrative is respected. Making opportunities for artists and collaborating with artists in new ways paves the path for artists to be those earning from their labors, which would benefit society as a whole.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
Finding my voice and making a space to inspire others to find theirs, unfiltered, with all the hopes, fears, dreams, tears, and laughs that go into being a human living in this world. Along the way I seek a creative journey driven by the goal of living and sustaining a life as an empowered artist, maintaining a versatile practice as both an artrepreneur and an artist that puts talent and high quality work before everything else. I constantly experiment and push the boundaries of my art. I seek meeting and working with genuine and passionate people in any industry that value artists and their contribution to society so that we can work towards a more equitable culture while promoting meaningful impact.
I also strive to encourage people to learn about art, engage with the arts, and empower artists to be responsible cultural agents with critical capabilities. I always get inspired by collaborating with people from diverse backgrounds and tastes, to realize our potential as creatives and entrepreneurs.
It’s been a learning curve to push my art to its limits, it takes a lot, but it’s also very rewarding. Through this journey, I’m discovering the full capacity of my voice in innovative and unique ways and hope to inspire others to do the same.
I recently saw Thomas Hirschhorn’s exhibition at Gladstone Gallery,’Fake it, Fake it – till you Fake it.’ I fantasize about having that freedom to go wild, to let the art live and breathe, freeing it from the consumer gaze, if only for a moment, so that art can love us back.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://yulialoni.com/
- Instagram: @yulialoniprimor
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063562521919&mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/yuli-aloni-primor-70b0ba133
Image Credits
Image #4: Claudia Shaldervan