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Do Ho Suh (
hangul The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the Korean language. The l ...
: 서도호, born 1962) is a Korean
sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...
and installation
artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, th ...
. He also works across various media, including paintings and film which explore the concept of space and home. His work is particularly well known in relation to anti-monumentalism. His works convey his life experiences, including the homes he has lived in and the diversity of the people he has met. Suh takes inspiration for his unique art form from his nomadic lifestyle, living in many different cities and environments. With the use of a unique, diaphanous fabric medium, Suh highlights intersections between displacement, memories, and environments all through the idea of a "home" space. His focus on traditional techniques and memorializing spaces are used as agents in emphasizing Korean culture and his identity. Suh was born in
Seoul, South Korea Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 o ...
in 1962. He earned a
Bachelor of Fine Arts A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a standard undergraduate degree for students for pursuing a professional education in the visual, fine or performing arts. It is also called Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA) in some cases. Background The Bachel ...
and
Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts ...
from
Seoul National University Seoul National University (SNU; ) is a national public research university located in Seoul, South Korea. Founded in 1946, Seoul National University is largely considered the most prestigious university in South Korea; it is one of the three " ...
in Oriental Painting. He also studied at
Rhode Island School of Design The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD , pronounced "Riz-D") is a private art and design school in Providence, Rhode Island. The school was founded as a coeducational institution in 1877 by Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf, who sought to increase the ...
, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting in 1994. He began to establish himself into the art scene in New York in the late 1990s. Then, in 1997, he received a Master of Fine Arts in sculpture from
Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the w ...
. Suh currently has live-in studios located in London, New York City, and Seoul. Suh was named the
Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
's Innovator of the Year in Art in 2013. He represented Korea at the
Venice Biennale The Venice Biennale (; it, La Biennale di Venezia) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy by the Biennale Foundation. The biennale has been organised every year since 1895, which makes it the oldest of ...
in 2001.


Early life

Do ho Suh's father, Suh Se-Ok, was a famous artist who led an artistic movement in the 1960s. It combined traditional ink paintings with new meanings and concepts from the abstract art movement that was happening in the West. Suh grew up in Seoul, and after failing to get the grades needed to become a marine biologist, he applied for art school. After receiving a master's degree in traditional
Korean painting Korean painting includes paintings made in Korea or by overseas Koreans on all surfaces. The earliest surviving Korean paintings are murals in the Goguryeo tombs, of which considerable numbers survive, the oldest from some 2,000 years ago (mostly ...
and completing mandatory service in the South Korean military for approximately 2 years after graduating at Seoul National University, he moved to the United States to continue his painting education in 1991. Moving to the US removed the association Suh had to his father, "I felt relieved when I went to the States, I felt much more freedom". This allowed him to make his own work and not be compared to his father. Travel informs a large amount of his work, during which Suh always carries a sketchbook as a habit acquired during university. These travels and transits between locations, such as in airports and trains, provide inspiration for works as well as their conceptualization. Suh has turned his previous dislike of traveling to a source of inspiration and space for creativity.


Influences

Suh's work has a central focus on
architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings ...
,
space Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consi ...
, and identity. His early work blended into the gallery space and was barely discernible to the viewer as art. His most famous works are made of nylon or silk skillfully sewn into forms that represent spaces in Suh's life to scale.While Suh has worked with a plethora of mediums in the past, his signature is a translucent polyester thread that is used to make traditional Korean costumes for summer, the texture similar to organza; while using his art as an agent to express his mission, he also incorporates Korean tradition and identity. This inspiration for revolutionizing traditional Korean techniques could be paying homage to his father, who was a well-known artist that practiced the tradition of ink painting and transforming it in novel ways. One of Suh's oldest works is entitled ''High School Uni-Form'' (1997)''.'' This piece also followed his theme of identity since, more recently, these uni-forms have changed over time. Although this is an outfit that many boys shared at the time, they all have different sentiments when looking back at these uniforms. Although it remains unclear on what this piece really means, identity plays a major role in this breathtaking piece. Immigrating to the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
affected how Suh interpreted home and created an overarching theme in his works where he explores space and how we interact with it. This can be seen in his piece, "Home Within Home Within Home Within Home Within Home" which is a silk replica of his childhood home, as well as his piece "Fallen Star" that featured a traditional Korean home crashing into a Los Angeles building. Suh also challenges the uses of varies materials, for instance, "Do Ho Suh: 348 West 22nd Street" is a work created with luminous swaths of translucent polyester, which features his own history of migration from Korea to New York, a replica of the ground-floor residence when he first arrived the United States. Moving to the US removed the association Suh had to his father, "I felt relieved when I went to the states, I felt much more freedom".


Importance of Fabric

There is a connection between the use of this diaphanous fabric and its intentions to highlight his Korean roots and identity through his Home Series, specifically the piece ''Reflection'', exhibited in 2007. ''Reflection'' is a piece that exemplifies dual dimensions of a gate that was between the main house and the children’s bedroom of his parent’s home in Korea. Suh pays close attention to detail as he replicates every feature, including the dragon and crane design on the brick roof and tiles, creating the piece out of the Korean fabric along with traditional sewing techniques. The color of the piece is a foggy yet eye-catching lake blue, portraying the sereneness of the water-like plane; the space is crafted almost like a meditation room, evoking contemplation. This piece is a literal reflection of his childhood mixed with feelings of nostalgia and confusion when pondering about space, these feelings exacerbated by the blurry effect of the fabric. He incorporates elements of his Korean childhood house, rooting back to his identity and experiences. He plays with the idea of two gateways that could allude to the contemplation of his own identity; he resides in the comfort of his younger years with his Korean identity, yet is questioning the bounds of his new culture, moving to the United States. Suh attempts to use his art to reconnect with his Korean roots and revive the fading memory of his Korean identity, juggling two cultures. The unique fabric is also used to highlight themes of displacement, mobility, and transporting memories in different environments. For example, Suh’s piece, ''348 West 22nd Street,'' most aligns with the displacement Suh felt when moving to a new city. The experience was extremely uncomfortable for him, and he had to find a way to feel established in his surroundings. As a solution, he measured and surveyed every nook and cranny of his environment and eventually investigated how identity is imposed through the duplication and transportation of important spaces. Referencing back to his piece, ''348 West 22nd Street'' is crafted with the same transparent fabric; the colors incorporated are dusty, artificial tones of pink, blue, and yellow, contributing to the New York quality of the space; these aspects are then juxtaposed by the elegance and smoothness of the fabric, suggesting the quality and roots of Korean tradition. Here, he illustrates the duality of his identity by successfully meshing both cultures into a singular space, highlighting how the home acts as a representation of his identity.


Art Techniques

To emphasize notions of memorializing spaces yet recognizing the temporary nature of homes, Suh often uses the technique of “rubbing.” This technique is the act of putting white paper over the entire interior of a space and coloring on top of it to capture the indents, dimensions, and imperfections to articulate the time and memories spent in the home. From afar, the drawing seems two-dimensional, but as you approach the paper, it is easy to notice the little details accentuated by the rubbing technique. This serves as a metaphor regarding a home and its memories; At first look, it's easy to downplay the importance of a home space, feeling as if it is just an unattached environment. But, once taking a closer look, memories can be evoked through a small scratch on the wall or by the simplicity of a light switch. Suh yearns to memorialize the spaces he lives in, emphasizing the layers of time in the home. He also views rubbing as a loving gesture. He understands the temporary nature of a home, stemming from his nomadic lifestyle, yet he still finds meaning in the importance of the environment as it shapes identity and holds precious memories, even if it was in the past.


Exhibitions

Suh has had solo exhibitions at
Storefront for Art and Architecture Storefront for Art and Architecture is an independent, non-profit art and architecture organization located in SoHo, Manhattan in New York City. The organization is committed to the advancement of innovative positions in architecture, art and desig ...
(2010), the
Serpentine Galleries The Serpentine Galleries are two contemporary art galleries in Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Central London. Recently rebranded to just Serpentine, the organisation is split across Serpentine South, previously known as the Serpentine Gallery ...
, London (2002),
Seattle Art Museum The Seattle Art Museum (commonly known as SAM) is an art museum located in Seattle, Washington, United States. It operates three major facilities: its main museum in downtown Seattle; the Seattle Asian Art Museum (SAAM) in Volunteer Park on Cap ...
, the
Whitney Museum of American Art The Whitney Museum of American Art, known informally as "The Whitney", is an art museum in the Meatpacking District and West Village neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1930 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (1875–194 ...
at Philip Morris, the
Artsonje Center Artsonje Center is a private art museum in Seoul, Korea, located in Samcheong-dong, a neighborhood adjacent to known for its numerous art galleries, cafes, restaurants and boutiques. Founded in 1998, the museum introduces current and experimen ...
in
Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic ...
, the
21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
, Japan (2013),
Bildmuseet Bildmuseet ( en, Museum of Visual Arts) is a contemporary art museum in Umeå, northern Sweden. History The museum was founded in 1981 by Umeå University and it exhibits Swedish and international contemporary art, visual culture, design, and a ...
, Umeå University, Sweden (2017 - 2018), the
Smithsonian American Art Museum The Smithsonian American Art Museum (commonly known as SAAM, and formerly the National Museum of American Art) is a museum in Washington, D.C., part of the Smithsonian Institution. Together with its branch museum, the Renwick Gallery, SAAM holds ...
in Washington, D.C. (2018) the
Los Angeles County Museum of Art The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is an art museum located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles. LACMA is on Museum Row, adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits (George C. Page Museum). LACMA was founded in 19 ...
(2019 - 2020), the
ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum The ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum is an art museum in Aarhus, Denmark. The museum was established in 1859 and is the oldest public art museum in Denmark outside Copenhagen. On 7 April 2004, ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum opened with exhibitions in a brand new ...
in
Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...
(2018 - 2019), the
Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...
in London, UK (2019), and the Museum Voorlinden in
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
(2019). He has also participated in group exhibitions at the
Baltimore Museum of Art The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, is an art museum that was founded in 1914. The BMA's collection of 95,000 objects encompasses more than 1,000 works by Henri Matisse anchored by the Cone Collection of ...

Institute of Contemporary Art
Boston,
Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of t ...
, New York, and at the
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), is an art museum located in the Houston Museum District of Houston, Texas. With the recent completion of an eight-year campus redevelopment project, including the opening of the Nancy and Rich Kinder Buil ...
, among others. Suh has participated in numerous biennials, including the 49th
Venice Biennale The Venice Biennale (; it, La Biennale di Venezia) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy by the Biennale Foundation. The biennale has been organised every year since 1895, which makes it the oldest of ...
in 2001. In 2010, he was shown in the Liverpool Biennial, the Venice Biennale Architecture, and Media City Seoul Biennial, and the 9th
Gwangju Biennale The Gwangju Biennale is a contemporary art biennale founded in September 1995 in Gwangju, South Jeolla province, South Korea. The Gwangju Biennale is hosted by the Gwangju Biennale Foundation and the city of Gwangju. The Gwangju Biennale Found ...
in 2012.


Public collections

Suh's work is found in major museum collections worldwide, including the
Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of t ...
, New York;
Whitney Museum of American Art The Whitney Museum of American Art, known informally as "The Whitney", is an art museum in the Meatpacking District and West Village neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1930 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (1875–194 ...
, New York;
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, often referred to as The Guggenheim, is an art museum at 1071 Fifth Avenue on the corner of East 89th Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. It is the permanent home of a continuously exp ...
, New York;
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), is an art museum located in the Houston Museum District of Houston, Texas. With the recent completion of an eight-year campus redevelopment project, including the opening of the Nancy and Rich Kinder Buil ...
;
Albright–Knox Art Gallery The Buffalo AKG Art Museum, formerly known as the Albright–Knox Art Gallery, is an art museum at 1285 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, New York, in Delaware Park. the museum's Elmwood Avenue campus is temporarily closed for construction. It hosted e ...
, Buffalo, N.Y.;
Minneapolis Institute of Art The Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) is an arts museum located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Home to more than 90,000 works of art representing 5,000 years of world history, Mia is one of the largest art museums in the United State ...
;
Walker Art Center The Walker Art Center is a multidisciplinary contemporary art center in the Lowry Hill neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The Walker is one of the most-visited modern and contemporary art museums in the United States and, to ...
, Minneapolis;
Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA) is a contemporary art museum with two locations in greater Los Angeles, California. The main branch is located on Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, near the Walt Disney Concert Hall. MOCA's ...
;
Los Angeles County Museum of Art The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is an art museum located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles. LACMA is on Museum Row, adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits (George C. Page Museum). LACMA was founded in 19 ...
;
Seattle Asian Art Museum The Seattle Asian Art Museum (often abbreviated to SAAM) is a museum of Asian art at Volunteer Park in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. Part of the Seattle Art Museum, the SAAM exhibits historic and contemp ...
, Seattle, WA;
Art Gallery of Ontario The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO; french: Musée des beaux-arts de l'Ontario) is an art museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The museum is located in the Grange Park neighbourhood of downtown Toronto, on Dundas Street West between McCaul and Bev ...
, Toronto;
Tate Modern Tate Modern is an art gallery located in London. It houses the United Kingdom's national collection of international modern and contemporary art, and forms part of the Tate group together with Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. It ...
, London; the
Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo The is a contemporary art museum in Koto, Tokyo, Japan. The museum is located in Kiba Park. It was opened in 1995. Collections *''Marilyn Monroe'' by Andy Warhol (1967) *'' Girl with Hair Ribbon'' by Roy Lichtenstein (1965) *''Honey-pop'' by T ...
; the
Towada Art Center The is an art museum in Towada, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. The museum was opened in 2008 as part of the Arts Towada Project, in an effort to revitalize the city. It features works from artists both inside and outside of Japan, including Yoko Ono ...
and Gothenburg;
Museum of World Culture The National Museum of World Culture ( sv, Världskulturmuseet) opened in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 2004. It is a part of the public authority Swedish National Museums of World Cultures and builds on the collections of the former Göteborgs Etnog ...
. Selected works include: *''Hub-2, Breakfast Corner, 260-7'' (2018) *''Hub-1, Entrace, 260-7'' (2018) *''New York City Apartment'' (2015) *''
Fallen Star ''Fallen Star'' is an art installation by South Korean artist Do Ho Suh on the grounds of the University of California San Diego. It is a cottage perched at an angle off the edge of the main Jacobs School of Engineering building (Jacobs Hall). ...
'' (2012) *''348 West 22nd Street'' (2011-2015) *''Net-Work'' (2010) *''Karma'' (2010) *''Home within Home'' (2009-2011) *''Fallen Star 1/5'' (2008-2011) *'' Cause & Effect'' (2012) *''Paratrooper-II'' (2005) *''Paratrooper-V'' (2005) *'' Unsung Founders'' (2005) *''Some/One'' (2005) *''Reflection'' (2004) *''Karma Juggler'' (2004) *''Staircase-IV'' (2004) *''Screen'' (2003) *''Doormat: Welcome Back'' (2003) *''The Perfect Home'' (2002) *''Public Figures'' (1998) *''Who Am We?'' (2000) *''Floor'' (1997-2000) *''High School Uni-form'' (1997)


Public Figures (1998)

Do Ho Suh's ''Public Figures'' consists of an empty pedestal supported by a crowd of people, turning the traditional concept of a monument upside down: in fact, the heroic figure does not stand above the pedestal, but with the masses below. Critics have described this work as confronting questions of home, physical space, displacement, memory, individuality and collectivity. In an interview with Paul Laster for ''Artkrush'', the artist said his work "is an organic way to explore the boundaries of this notion of individualism, in which each individual is the accumulation of so many different and discrete individuals creates a bigger group, a bigger country and a bigger world"


Awards

*
Ho-Am Prize in the Arts The Ho-Am Prize was established in 1990 by Kun-Hee Lee, the Chairman of Samsung, with a vision to create a new corporate culture that continues the noble spirit of public service espoused by the late Chairman Byung-chull Lee, founder of Samsung. ...
(2017)


References


External links


Lehmann Maupin GalleryVictoria Miro GalleryArt:21 -- Art in the Twenty-First CenturyTateShots: Do Ho Suh - Staircase-III
The artist talks about his installation piece. 25 March 2011.
21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
Kanazawa
Profile overview on Artsy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Suh, Do Ho 1962 births South Korean sculptors Living people People from Seoul Yale University alumni Seoul National University alumni South Korean expatriates in the United States South Korean contemporary artists Rhode Island School of Design alumni Recipients of the Ho-Am Prize in the Arts