About — Yule Burlefinger

‘When I look back, I see the future in gold
Everything unwritten, all in our hands to mold – spaces untouched, stories untold – And I begin to realize that we become what we behold, that we can become one
If we are just bold enough T
o forget the roles
That keep us back - from being whole’
- Yule Burlefinger

Yule Burlefinger is an art mediator (M.A.) whose practice encompasses creative writing, poetry, photography, performance, creative production, curation, and coaching. Her work is all about bringing shores together: body and mind, art and audiences, disciplines, languages, and cultures. It is marked by a sensitive and reflective approach towards a life that is situated between compassionate healing, deep transformation, and radical joy.
In her creative practice as a writer, poet, photographer, and performance artist, she explores themes that investigate concepts of home and belonging, identity and self, femininity, and freedom – of the body and the mind. Being a human rights activist and a social justice advocate, she unravels and creates the connecting dots that it takes to bridge different realities whilst acknowledging the sharp edges of society’s structures and the distant shores of our earthly existences. As an art mediator, curator, coach, and creative producer, she is passionate about creating and accompanying transformative processes that are initiated and facilitated by art-making and/or bodily experiences.
A wanderer at heart, Yule Burlefinger has lived and worked in many countries around the globe. She speaks/writes in German, English, and sometimes French. Currently, she is based in Augsburg, Germany.

Photography: Njenga Jed [@jedvialens]

Dear reader,
I am happy that you have landed here – I hope you will stay for a while!
My name is Julia Burlefinger, and I go by my nickname & artist name ‘Yule’, pronounced “YOU-leh”. I am many things, but at the core are the written words: they are the arteries of my expression. I have been writing for as long as I can remember – as a way to make sense of the meanderings of my mind and to express the many shades that our existence entails.

This page is a little collage of the different branches of my practice. The trunk of the tree is the blog – this is very much an insight into the core of my being. Spoken Word, Photography, Performance, Art Mediation, Coaching, Curation, and Creative Production is what allows me to connect with others – it’s the branches that keep reaching, carrying many leaves, and eventually bearing fruits. Art has always been the seed – all that you find here has grown on the heart’s field of imagination.

Besides the poetic words and imagery, my language is also one of intersectional activism: I am a feminist, an anti-racist, an environmentalist, a body activist, and an advocate for social justice and mental health. My practice is rooted in a deep understanding of the weight of past, present, and future existences and an infinite process of learning about my own complicity as well as possible roads towards decolonization. I know there are as many truths as there are realities, and I am happy if you share yours – for we can grow together.

And in case if you are wondering: My name – Yule – is an adaption of my nickname that was given to me during my first stay in Rwanda. [yule] is a Swahili word meaning ‘that one’, like ‘that one over there’.

In the Northern hemisphere, [yule] describes the winter solstice celebrations that once took place as a Pagan tradition. In many Nordic countries, it is nowadays often referred to as Christmas time, but its original meaning centers around midwinter/winter solstice, which describes the longest night of the year. It is the day where the Sun reaches its southernmost point as observed from the Northern hemisphere, where it seems to ‘stand still’ – the term ‘solstice’ comes from the Latin words ‘sol’ for ‘sun’ and ‘sistere’ ‘to stand still’ – before it ‘turns around’ again. And that is what yule-yule is all about: it is a space between light and dark, it is honoring the depths of the night and celebrating the many sun rays of the day.

And as the sun keeps re-birthing and rising, may you find the refuge/space/solace/dreams/energy/inspiration/joy/thoughts/tools that you might be looking for.

I appreciate your time – feel free to share thoughts, give feedback, or contact me if you’d like to work with me!

Enjoy your wander (:

Yule