Kaja Upelj is a Slovenian visual artist working between London and Ljubljana. Her practice challenges established perceptions of the female body, gender roles, and the essence of femininity. Her work explores the tension between social discipline and personal identity, using delicate materials like lace to subvert traditional symbols of purity and control. By weaving together elements of cultural inheritance and familiar ideals, her practice confronts the subtle forms of violence embedded in tradition, while quietly giving form to resistance from within.

Kaja is currently pursuing an MFA at Goldsmiths, University of London.  She is the recipient of the 2022 New York artist residency award from the Slovenian Ministry of Culture, and the 2018 Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust grant, and has been selected for an upcoming residency at Villa Lena in Italy in 2025.