Yeni Kim

Hongik University

Dot-to-Dot: Drawing Connection in Heritage Through Illustration

What can illustration do for heritage? This keynote, Dot-to-Dot: Drawing Connection in Heritage Through Illustration, embarks on a journey to explore this fundamental question. Beginning with a definition of illustration within today’s ever-evolving creative landscape, it offers a nuanced perspective that positions illustration not merely as a visual depiction but as an intellectual act, grounded in storytelling, communication, and adaptability.

It then examines the intersection of illustration and heritage-making from the dual perspective of an illustrator and researcher. I explore how illustration can bridge gaps in heritage by conveying complex emotions, cultural experiences, and historical narratives that often resist verbal expression. This discussion provides strategies for illustrators to categorize, curate, conserve, and communicate heritage, while raising critical questions about the illustrator’s legitimacy in representing different cultures, interpretive authenticity, and the audience’s visual literacy. Ethical concerns, such as consent, anonymity, and copyright, are also addressed as essential to conducting responsible visual research.

At the core of this discussion is my project, Tamlarok: The Record of Tamla (2020), a practice-based research study focused on two forms of intangible cultural heritage in South Korea: the female free divers known as Jeju Jomnyeo (Haenyeo) and the Jeju dialect. By positioning illustration as a participatory and creative practice, I demonstrate how it offers unique modes of accessing, engaging with, interpreting, representing, and disseminating heritage. The keynote showcases the intellectual and creative power of illustration in heritage-making and invites more illustrators to engage with heritage in their practice, connecting past, present, and future through visual storytelling.

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Yeni Kim is an award-winning illustrator, designer, researcher, and Assistant Professor at Hongik University (South Korea). She completed her BA in Visual Communication at Hongik University and an MA in Visual Communication at the Royal College of Art (London, UK). In her practice, she explores the role of illustration in representing and preserving life stories, which is the focus of her doctoral research at Kingston University. Her recent work on the intangible heritage of Jeju was published in the Journal of Illustration and presents illustration as a tool for facilitating activity and opening up cross-generational dialogue. Positioning visual storytelling as the core of her practice, Kim has collaborated with global clients, applying her skills across various aspects of visual communication and exhibiting internationally.