Lady Liberty II, 2011
BORN 1978
ARTIST STATEMENT
My work is about connect and passion. Not about the standard or norm of beauty but the connection and emotion the viewer has when viewing the artworks. Challenging the fundamental views on beauty is one of the most important qualities of my artwork, second is to amplify my emotion to the large scale.
I convey my passion of emotion to the life-sized figures in my artwork. The mixture of my fancy life to reality collide which translates to the bright irregular colors of my work. I am inspired by Jackson Pollack, William de Kooning and Andy Warhol who all push the boundaries of their time and translate their views in different ways.
Every click I make on my camera. Every brushstroke I paint to the body translates my mood and passion to each piece. Capturing the love, emotion, and life is what drives me to explore the human relationships each and every day.
BIOGRAPHY
Education
- 2001 The School of The Art Institute of Chicago, Photography & Performance Art, Chicago, USA
- 2000 New York Studio Residency Program, AICAD, NY
- 1997 Rhode Island School of Design, Summer Program, Providence, USA
Solo Exhibitions
- 2020 Evolution, Gallery NoW, Seoul, Korea
- 2019 Expansion of Boundaries, Gallery NoW Artist Award, Gallery NoW, Seoul, Korea
- 2017 Wild in Blue, Asian Art Works, Beijing, China
- 2016 Koh Sang Woo Solo, Wanrooij Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- 2014 Decoding Women, Wanrooij Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Arcadia, Koh Sang Woo Solo Project, Scope New York (James Freeman Gallery), New York, USA - 2013 I am the Most Beautiful Girl, Asian Art Works Busan, Busan, Korea
Koh Sang Woo Solo, Wanrooij Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Koh Sang Woo Solo, Taipei Expo Dome, Taipei, Taiwan - 2012 Join Me There, Zaha Museum, Seoul Korea
Koh Sang Woo Solo, Wanrooij Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Koh Sang Woo Solo Project, AHAF (The Cat Street Gallery), Hong Kong - 2011 Koh Sang Woo Solo Project, Scope Miami (James Freeman Gallery), Miami, USA
The Burning Flowers, Cat Street Gallery, Hong Kong
Koh Sang Woo Solo Project, Korean Art Show, New York, USA
Pretty Powerful, Gallery Sun Contemporary, Seoul, Korea
Koh Sang Woo Solo Project, AHAF, Seoul, Korea - 2010 True Stories, James Freeman Gallery, London, UK
- 2009 The Woman, The Rover Soho, New York, USA
Koh Sang Woo Solo, Gallery Sun Contemporary, Seoul, Korea
Koh Sang Woo Solo, Busan Art Center, Busan, Korea
Koh Sang Woo Solo Project, ARTO Art Fair, Busan, Korea - 2008 Koh Sang Woo Solo Project, ACAF New York, New York, USA
- 2007 Koh Sang Woo Solo Project, ACAF New York (2X13 Gallery), New York, USA
I am Beautiful, 2x13 Gallery, New York, USA
Koh Sang Woo Solo, KCAF, Hangaram Art Museum, Seoul Arts Center, Seoul, Korea - 2006 I Love You, 2x13 Gallery, New York, USA
- 2005 Koh Sang Woo Solo Project, CIGE Art Fair, The China World Trade Center, Beijing, China
- 2001 Koh Sang Woo Solo, Insa Art Space, The Korean Culture & Arts Foundation, Seoul, Korea
Performance
- 2021 Black Pearl, SODA Museum, Hwaseong, Korea
- 2020 My Skin Is Your Birkin, Gallery NoW, Seoul, Korea
- 2019 I After You, KSW x Collective A, Seoul Art Show Opening Performance, Seoul, Korea
Hug, KIAF Art Seoul Opening Performance, Seoul, Korea
Written with Rose, W Hotel, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Destiny, ‘We are each other’s destiny’ Opening Performance, Savina Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea - 2018 Written with Rose. KSW x Kim Hyung Suk, Art Asia Special Project A-STAGE, Ilsan, Korea
Written with Rose: I Seek Beauty Forever, Han River, Seoul, Korea - 2017 Wild in Blue, Asian Art Works, Beijing, China
- 2014 Taehwa River Eco Art Festival, Opening Performance, Ulsan, Korea
- 2012 The Woman, New York Performance Festival, The Rover Soho, New York, USA
Selected Group Exhibitions
- 2021 TOUCH, Gallery 46, London, UK
Rainbow Tomorrow, POSCO Art Museum, Seoul, Korea
Urban Break Art Asia, COEX, Seoul, Korea
Art Busan, Asian Art Works, Busan, Korea
Love is Love, SODA Museum, Hwaseong, Korea - 2020 Now & Future, TWTC, Taipei, Taiwan
The Horizons of relations, Korea International Photo festival, Hangaram Design Museum, Seoul Arts Center, Seoul, Korea
Ultimate Contemporary, Phillips, London, UK - 2019 We Are Each Other’s Destiny, An Artistic Embrace of Endangered Animals, Savina Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea
Koh Sang Woo, Kim Chang Kyum Photo Exhibition, Savina Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea
Art Miami, Wanrooij Gallery, Miami, USA - 2018 Borderlines, James Freeman Gallery, London, UK
The Masterpiece-The Last Piece, Gallery NoW, Seoul, Korea - 2017 Selfie, Savina Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea
Art New York, Wanrooij Gallery, Miami, USA - 2016 Art Busan, Asian Art Works, Busan, Korea
Daegu Photo Biennale, Main Exhibition, Daegu, Korea
Art Miami, Wangrooij Gallery, Maimi, USA
The Need for My Care, Waterfall Gallery, New York, USA - 2015 Art New York, Wanrooij Gallery, New York, USA
Some Love, Shinsegae Gallery, Seoul, Korea
Woman Empowerment, Waterfall Gallery, New York, USA - 2014 Scope Miami, Wanrooij gallery, Miami, USA
Art Busan, Asian Art Works, Busan, Korea
Double Mirror, American University Museum, Washington D.C, USA
K-POP, The Cat Street Gallery, Hong Kong
Scope New York, James Freeman Gallery, New York, USA - 2013 Art.Fair 21, Bart Gallery, Cologne, Germany
Taipei Art Photo Show, Taipei, Taiwan
Art Miami, Wanrooij gallery, Miami, USA
Art Cologne, Wanrooij gallery, Cologne, Germany
On Paper, James Freeman Gallery, London, UK
Sometimes Beautiful, Castellani Art Museum, New York, USA
The Fifth Seasons, Asian Art Works, Beijing, China
Realism, Wanrooij Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherland
Art Revolution Taipei, Taipei World Trade Center, Taiwan
Love Actually, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea - 2012 Scope Miami, Wanrooij Gallery, Miami, USA
Scope Basel, Wanrooij Gallery, Basel, Switzerland
Scope New York, PATRAJDAS Contemporary, New York, USA
CIGE 2012, The China World Trade Center, Beijing, China
Yeosu International Art Festival, Yeosu Art Center, Yeosu, Korea
Convergence, Yangpyung Art Museum, Yangpyung, Korea - 2011 Art of Party, Lancaster Museum of Art, Pennsylvania, USA
Asian Art Auction, Christie's Hong Kong, Hong Kong
New Thinking New Possibility, Collaboration with Hyundai Motor, H-Art Gallery, Seoul, Korea
Wunderkammer, James Freeman Gallery, London, UK The Signal 8, The Cat Street Gallery, Hong Kong - 2010 Korean Art Show, New York, USA
Media Media, Queens Museum, New York, USA
The Metamorphsis, The Other Gallery, Shanghai, China
Inter-nale, Sungkok Art Museum, Seoul, Korea
From Desire to the Sublime, HOMA, Seoul, Korea
Asian Art Auction, Christie’s Hong Kong, Hong Kong
San Francisco Fine Art Fair, San Francisco, USA
ART HK 2010, The Cat Street Gallery, Hong Kong - 2009 Distinctively Korean, Christie’s London, London, UK
Talent Preview 2009, White Box, New York, USA
Asian Contemporary Art, Christie’s Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Pulse Miami, Miami, USA
Backroom, Frederieke Taylor Gallery, New York, USA
Ideal Worlds, James Freeman Gallery, London, UK
798 Beijing Biennale 2009, T-Art Center, Beijing, China
Ulsan International Photo Festival, Ulsan Art Center, Korea - 2008 Seoul International Print & Photo Art Fair, Hangaram Art Museum, Seoul Arts Center, Seoul, Korea
Negative Images, Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art, Ansan, Korea
Spotlight, Special Exhibition, ACAF NY, New York, USA
Body Extension, The Columns Gallery, Seoul, Korea KIAF 2008, Korea
International Art Fair, Coex, Seoul, Korea
Beyond Definition, Interalia Art Company, Seoul, Korea
Yeosu International Art Festival, Yeosu Art Center, Yeosu, Korea - 2007 Contemporary Korean Artists in New York, Hangaram Art Museum, Seoul Arts. Center, Seoul, Korea
Fresh Illusions, AHL foundation, White Box, New York, USA
Face of Janus, Touch Art Gallery, Gyeonggido, Korea
Pleasure of Photography, Artbit gallery, Seoul, Korea - 2006 Seoul International Print & Photo Art Fair, Hangaram Art Museum, Seoul Arts Center, Seoul, Korea
Holiday Auction, Helen Mills Theater, New York, USA
Reflection/Refraction, 2x13 Gallery, New York, USA
Five Syllable Stanza, Hun Gallery, New York, USA - 2005 Self-Portraits, Carl Hammer Gallery, Chicago, USA
Merry Christmas, Gallery Sun Contemporary, Seoul, Korea
Photography Auction, Christie's New York, New York, USA
Eye of Camera, Ward Nasse Gallery, New York, USA
The Wind, Missouri University, Columbus, USA - 2004 Armory Show, Carl Hammer Gallery, New York, USA
Art Chicago, Carl Hammer Gallery, Chicago, USA
Photo LA, International Art Fair, Los Angeles, USA - 2003 Open Your Eyes, ARKO Art Center, Seoul, Korea
Armory Show, Carl Hammer Gallery, New York, USA
March Madness, Bottom Feeders Gallery, New York, USA - 2002 Armory Photography, Carl Hammer Gallery, New York, USA
Art Chicago, Carl Hammer Gallery, Navy Pier, Chicago, USA
Asian Photography 20, Gallery Surge, Kinza, Japan
Art Window Project, Collaboration with Max Mara, Chicago, USA - 2001 Exploring Future Stars, Carl Hammer Gallery, Chicago, USA
The Next Generation, Jean Albano Gallery, Chicago, USA
Summer Solstice, Museum of Contemporary of Art, Chicago, USA
Collections
- Frederieke Taylor Gallery, New York, USA
- Bridgewater Associates, New York, USA
- Musée d´art contemporain de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Asian Artworks, New York, USA
- 2X13 Gallery, New York, USA
- SJNY Design, New York, USA
- AHL foundation, New York, USA
- REDBBAR, New York, USA
- Carl Hammer Gallery, Chicago, USA
- Brad/Trask, Chicago, USA
- The School of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, USA
- Busan Art Center, Busan, Korea
- Mondrian Hotels, Seoul, Korea
- Savina Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea
Awards
- 2019 Gallery NoW Artist Award, Seoul, Korea
- 2009 AHL Asian Art Award, Prize Winner, AHL Foundation, New York, USA
About Koh Sang Woo’s Work
His Photographic prints and video works are produced from color negatives, which results in an inversion; dark tones becomes light; red changes to blue, and so on.
Turning figures inside out, revealing in a "negative" rather than a "positive" Key, "Koh" drops out of the picture and there emerges a lusciously blue-toned albino. As he has described, "I use negative images because I am inverting myself. I invert the color of His Photographic prints and video works are produced from color negatives, which results in an inversion; dark tones becomes light; red changes to blue, and so on. Turning figures inside out, revealing in a "negative" rather than a "positive" Key, "Koh" drops out of the picture and there emerges a lusciously blue-toned albino. As he has described, "I use negative images because I am inverting myself. I invert the color of image, and I also invert male and female, as well as Eastern and Western cultures, I am inverting reality and fantasy too."
Koh alters such "gender effects" as clothing, hair style, make-up, and gesture. as if to compliment the process of self-transformation by emptying his masculinity into feminine form. While titular references - Miss America, Maria, Eve, Virgin Mary - are decided weighted toward the feminine, Koh's "transgender" make-overs reflect both male and female attributes; although, it's quite possible that hermaphroditic aspects might lie undiscovered suppressed in a male dominant culture such as Korea.
The "Emptying out" impulse plays again in Koh's use of symbols and stereotypes fished from the vast pool of the public domain to forge "personal identity loop" that reverberate with the noise of former and future applications. In American culture, for example. "Madonna" and "Eve" are not simply biblical figures they are also very popular, fashion towards American Vocalists.
Through the titles he assigns, Koh's feminine personas are given vague degrees of specificity; and yet, they are more aptly "contained" by the experiences we viewers bring to them - experiences, of course, that derive from the core of the thoroughly mediated and commodified environments the majority of us call home.
Excerpt from ‘Koh Sang Woo: 21st Century Visual Logic’ by Jan Avgikos, an art critic and art historian who lives and works in New York City.