Meet Yeil!
Step into a world where humans and nature intertwine in perfect harmony through the enchanting AI-generated portraits of Yeil, a visionary artist from Berlin (IG: @itsyeil). Inspired by the wisdom of indigenous peoples, Yeil's work invites us to reimagine our relationship with the environment and explore a future rooted in animist beliefs.
Yeil’s work not only captivates the eye but also sparks meaningful conversations about our place in the natural world and the transformative potential of AI in shaping the future.
Join us as we delve into Yeil's creative journey and discover the profound insights her work offers on the connection between humans and the Earth.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got interested in AI art?
I have been working in the creative industries for the past 15 years. First as photographer, then designer and Creative Director. I discovered AI last year, while going through some rough times. I started to explore my dreams and used Midjourney to visualize them. I quickly got hooked by the tech and the community around it.
Who or what are your artistic inspirations, and if you had the opportunity to collaborate with any artist, who would it be, and why?
There are so many sources of inspiration. A big one are trees, flowers, birds, microorganisms, textures and patterns of all colors and types. Traveling (in real life or through books and tales) also bring a lot of ideas. I’m fascinated by traditional clothing, ornaments, rituals, myths and spiritual belief from all corners of the world.
A big part of my work is done while listening to music (from Kendrick Lamar to Hans Zimmer to Funkadelic) and I’m sure that has to be a big source of inspiration…. as much as silent walks and dreams (that I often write down and illustrate).
A fan of movies I’m fascinated by DOPs like Emmanuel Lubezki, Christopher Doyle and Hoyte van Hoytema.
I would love to work with any upcoming musical artist on their creative direction. I love to discover new sounds and imagine together a visual world around it.
How do you approach the creative process when working with AI?
I usually have a specific idea of what I want to visualize. Usually I have to search for certain terms such as specific ornament or embroidery techniques for clothes or specific type of landscapes. I also work with a specific color palette, although lately I have been lingering on a lot of blue. Then I have a very freeform style of working, I like to have the maximum of variation on MJ so that I can be surprised by different ideas. AI is a very exciting medium, especially Midjourney. It's fantastic for letting the imagination run wild and being let in different direction by the tool. It's a constant exploration.
Can you share a specific artwork you've created that you're particularly proud of?
I rarely watch or read scifi, as the future portrayed either frightens me or I personally find it uninspiring. It becomes difficult to be optimistic when all that we are fed are distopian futures. That’s where the idea of "Tales of Karoo" came. I wanted to imagine a land where humans live in communion with all other beings, seen and unseen, known and unknown, where nature prospers and mystery is everywhere. Where humans are not masters, but humble stewards. And I did not have to invent anything as many cultures across the world do or did live this way.
I collected some pictures from previous travels, especially one I did in the Comores islands where I worked on a research on animist sacred sites and rituals. I got inspired by the writings of Ursula Le Guinn, by afrofuturism and solarpunk and wrote down terms and concepts and started prompting. I choose the place of the Karoo desert in South Africa to imagine it as new very biodiverse land where people from all over the world migrated to reimagine a new community.
How has working with AI in art influenced your mental and emotional wellbeing?
It gives me joy. I love to explore different ideas, styles and remixing images. Last year was kind of tired of my work for a while, and Midjourney came out exactly at the right time to reconnect me with creativity. It reignited a lot of old ideas and made me come alive again.
In your opinion, how does AI redefine the concept of creativity and artistic agency, and how do you see it impacting the future of art?
Tech changes fast, way too fast, so it's hard to know what the future holds for art and the creative industry. What I know is that we are a resilient and very creative species so we will find ways to collaborate and keep creating with and without AI. I'm worried though on the implication of AI on aspects outsides of art and the creative industry, but probably this is not the place for this type of discussion:)
What role do you think AI art can play in highlighting social issues?
Like any other form of art or creative form AI can be used to highlight social issue. By portraying an imaginary future based on animist beliefs I look at the relationship between humans and their environment, exploring a diverse understanding of "Being" and challenging the myths of innovation and progress.
For more of Yeil’s incredible work, make sure to visit her Instagram account: @itsyeil