YeonGyu Kang

YeonGyu Kang is an illustrator currently based in St.Louis, Missouri. She is a Kansas City Art Institute senior pursuing her BFA in illustration. She primarily works digitally, however, she successfully mimics the nostalgic charm of traditional mediums like watercolor and colored pencils through her digital creations, evoking a sense of cozy childhood innocence, occasionally tinged with bittersweet undertones. Born in South Korea, her journey in the art world began as early as she could remember, spending most of her time doodling with whatever material she could find.

Growing up in Korea, where art media such as manhwa, anime, and webtoons permeated everyday culture, YeonGyu, just like any other kid, was drawn to the art world and was encouraged to express her creativity through drawing. Even without realizing it, the beloved shows she used to watch as a kid such as, “Shugo Chara”, “Doraemon”, and “Shin-Chan'' where the central theme revolves around safeguarding childhood and preserving its magic into adulthood is present in her current artworks.

YeonGyu’s art is deeply intertwined with the world of children, and her lingering sense and desire to preserve her childhood allows her to explore the dreamy, bright, and jovial art style, which she incorporates into childlike surrealism. Her art seeks to reconnect and heal individuals with that purity of childhood, offering a nostalgic journey back to the innocence we all hold within, even as adults.