Yoko Kubrick Japanese / Czech / American, b. 1989

Yoko Kubrick, a Japanese-American artist and sculptor based in California, creates abstract sculptures influenced by nature's forms. She combines these shapes with tales from classical and comparative mythology, seeing the recurring stories across time and space as arising from the collective unconscious. Kubrick believes certain shapes appeal to humans because they stem from shared imagery, symbols, and motifs. Born on Guam and raised in various cultures, including her father's homeland of former Czechoslovakia, her childhood experiences sparked a fascination with mythology and sculptural traditions. As the first American-born member of her family, she embraces a cross-cultural perspective in her art. Yoko's choice of marble, natural stones, and bronze pays homage to the earth, as they are materials born from its depths. Yoko Kubrick's artistic practice investigates the impact of nature’s sensuality on human perception, combining the raw beauty of elements such as flowers, curves, and landscapes with classical and comparative mythology. Her work explores themes of universal aesthetics, the collective unconscious, and shared imagery that transcends cultural boundaries. Inspired by avant-garde sculptors such as Constantin Brancusi, Jean Arp, Barbara Hepworth, Isamu Noguchi, and the painter Georgia O’Keeffe, Kubrick explores emotion through abstract forms.

Kubrick earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies from San Jose State University and an M.A. in Counseling Psychology and Art Therapy from Notre Dame de Namur University. She honed her artistic abilities through traditional atelier apprenticeships, learning bronze casting, fabrication, and marble carving. Kubrick was born on the island of Guam and raised in Guam, Hawaii and California with summers spent in the Czech Republic, her father's native country. Experiencing the common threads among these distinct cultures aroused Kubrick's lifelong interest in mythology. Her work, featured in respected publications and showcased in exhibitions, can be found in permanent installations in public spaces and private estates.