Recognizable by the blue tone photograph that captures his subject using negative film, Koh Sang Woo is a visual artist who consolidates photography, performance, and painting. His work is a result of dialogue with the model. The Decoration of their bodies and hear with flowers and butterflies and painting them with brush strokes is a part of performance and preparation for photographing. His subjects are completely revealed, represented in their essential purity. Change of the color and the light in exposure gives them intense visual and emotional charge. Woo gives us the opportunity to see the world in reverse, to reconsider the way in which we look at others and understand ourselves.
By capturing emotion with his camera, Woo explores the relations between people, their connections and passions. Reconsidering the paradox between reality and fiction, he puts the norms of beauty in the first place. He is finding his inspiration in Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning and Andy Warhol’s work, considering them the artists who moved the limits of their time. Using the photography as optical fact, the medium which shows the reality of the moment, he complements it with painting, trying to transfer out his inner emotions. Although Woo’s work involves the new technologies, his artwork is not purely digital and not entirely relying on Photoshop. He is feeling the connection to his models and expressing emotions is not possible to do just with a computer program.
Koh Sang Woo graduated with School of Art Institute of Chicago in 2001, he double-majored in Photography and Performance Art. Working in both mediums at the same time allowed him to explore the relation between captured moment and movement. He thinks that photography is lacked by emotion and that its combination with performance is the only way that right message gets to the audience. Koh Sang Woo has exhibited widely worldwide and was listed in 2013 as one the 100 most important Korean contemporary artists. He has participated in various international fairs such as Armory Show, Armory Photography, Pulse Miami, Scope New York, Art Chicago, ACAF NY, CIGE Art Fair. Koh’s works are held in various collections worldwide.
Always thinking outside the box and challenging his own creativity in using new mediums, Koh Sang Woo creates vivid images of human figure enriched with the idealized version of pure love. Using the visual languages, he reconsiders the social issues of differences, like cultural, racial and sexual. His creativity is too engaged and dynamic to be able to classify his work in any one specific genre. The colors in Woo’s work are mysterious and lyrical with strong emotional expression. The stunning contrasts of blue, yellow and orange displace these scenes on some higher level of consciousness. Intimate and public at the same time, depicting environment of a fantasy, Woo’s translate his own mood and passion into every piece of his work.
Koh Sang Woo is represented by The Cat Street Gallery.
Featured image: portrait of the artist
All images courtesy of the artist
Year | Exhibition title | Gallery/Museum | Solo/Group |
---|---|---|---|
2011 | The Burning Flowers | The Cat Street Gallery, Hong Kong | solo |
2011 | KSW Solo Project | Korean Art Show, New York | solo |
2011 | Pretty Powerful | Gallery Sun Contemporary, Seoul | solo |
2011 | KSW Solo Project | AHAF 2011, Seoul | solo |
2011 | Art of Party | Lancaster Museum of Art, Pennsilvania | group |
2011 | From Desire to Sublime | Homa Museum of Art, Seoul | group |
2011 | Signal 8, Salon Exhibition | The Cat Street Gallery, Hong Kong | group |
2011 | ART HK 2011 | Hong Kong International Art Fair, Hong Kong | group |
2011 | Wanderkarmer | James Freeman Gallery, London | group |
2011 | New Thinking New Possibility | H-Art Gallery, Hyundai Motor, Seoul | group |
2011 | AHAF 2011, Special Exhibition | Bold & Beautiful, Seoul | group |
2011 | Christie's Hong Kong | Asian Art Auction, Hong Kong | group |
2011 | The Rover Soho | KSW Performance, New York | group |
2011 | Unknown | San Francisco Fine Art Fair, San Francisco | group |
2010 | Koh Sang Woo | James Freeman Gallery, London | solo |
2010 | Koh Sang Woo Solo Exhibition | Sesame Gallery, London, England | solo |
2010 | Media Media | Queens Museum of Art, New York | group |
2010 | Internalle Exhibition | Sungkok Museum of Art, Seoul | group |
2010 | Korean Art Show | International Art Festival, New York | group |
2010 | AHL Foundation Auction | Arario Gallery, New York | group |
2010 | The Metamorphsis | Other Gallery, Shanghai, China | group |
2010 | ART HK 2010 | HongKong International Art Fair, Hong Kong | group |
2010 | Signal 8, Salon Show | Cat Street Gallery, Hong Kong | group |
2010 | Unknown | San Francisco International Art Fair, San Francisco | group |
2010 | Unknown | Seoul Open Art Fair 2010, Coex, Seoul | group |
2010 | Wunderkamer | Sesame Gallery, London | group |
2009 | Koh Sang Woo Solo Exhibition | Gallery Sun Contemporary, Seoul | solo |
2009 | Koh Sang Woo Solo Exhibition | Busan Art Center, Busan | solo |
2009 | Koh Sang Woo, Spotlight | ARTO Art Fair, Busan | solo |
2009 | 798 BEIJING BIENNAL | International Biennal, T-Art Center, Beijing | group |
2009 | CHRISTIE'S LONDO | Distinctively Korea, London | group |
2009 | CHRISTIE'S HONGKONG | Asian Contemporary Art, HongKong | group |
2009 | ASIAN AUCTION WEEK IN HONGKONG | K-Auction, Conrad hotel, Hong Kong | group |
2009 | KIAF 2009 | Korea International Art Fair, Coex, Seoul | group |
2009 | PHILLIPS DE PURY & COMPANY | White Box 10 Years Anniversary, New York | group |
2009 | SCOPE NEW YORK | International Contemporary Art Fair, Lincoln Center, New York | group |
2009 | TALENT PREVIEW 2009 | White Box, New York | group |
2009 | BACKROOM | Frederieke Taylor Gallery, New York | group |
2009 | PHOTOSEOUL 2009 | International Art Fair, Coex, Seoul | group |
2009 | COLORIST | KAIST Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology, Seoul | group |
2009 | Unknown | ULSAN International Photography Festival, Ulsan | group |
2008 | Korea Contemporary Art Festival | Hangaram Museum, Seoul | solo |
2008 | ACAF NEW YORK | Asian Contemporary Art Fair New York, Pier 92, New York | group |
2008 | SPOTLIGHT | ACAF NEW YORK, Pier 92, New York | group |
2008 | SIPF 2008 | Seoul International Photo Festival, Seoul | group |
2008 | KIAF 2008 | Korea International Art Fair 2008, Coex, Seoul | group |
2008 | YIAF 2008 | Yeosu International Art Fair 2008, Yeosu | group |
2008 | BEYOND DEFINITION | Interalia Art Company, Seoul | group |
2008 | BODY EXTENSION | The Columns Project Gallery, Seoul | group |
2008 | THE NEGATIVE IMAG | Gyeong-Gido Museum of Art, Gyeong-Gido | group |
2008 | THE FACE | Gallery Private Collection, Seoul | group |
2008 | PHOTO PHOTO | Gallery Sun Contemporary, Seoul | group |
2008 | GALLERY COLLECTION | Gallery Sun Contemporary, Seoul | group |
2008 | 2X13 COLLECTION | Iroom Gallery, Paju | group |
2008 | ILLUSION | 2x13 Gallery, Seoul | group |
2007 | ACAF NY, Asian Contemporary Art Fair | 2X13 Gallery, New York | solo |
2007 | Koh Sang Woo Solo Exhibition | 2X13 Gallery, Seoul | solo |
2007 | Korea Contemporary Art Festival | Hangaram Museum, Seoul | solo |
2007 | ACAF NEW YORK | Asian Contemporary Art Fair New York, Pier 92, New York | group |
2007 | NEW YORK | Contemporary Korean Artists, Hangaram Museum, Seoul Art Center | group |
2007 | FRESH ILLUSIONS | AHL Foundation, White Box, New York | group |
2007 | REFLECTION | 2x13 Gallery, New York | group |
2007 | SAJIN: FACE OF YANUS | Touch Art Gallery, Heyri Art Village, Gyeong-Gido | group |
2007 | CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY | Artbit gallery, Seoul | group |
2006 | Koh Sang Woo Solo Exhibition | 2X13 Gallery, New York | solo |
2006 | SIPA SEOUL INTERNATIONAL PRINT & PHOTO ART FAIR | Hangaram Museum, Seoul Art Center | group |
2006 | MERRY CHRISTMAS, HOLIDAY AUCTION | Helen Mills Theater, New York | group |
2006 | REFLECTION | 2x13 Gallery, New York | group |
2006 | FIVE SYLLABLE STANZA | Hun Gallery, New York | group |
2005 | KSW Solo Project CIGE 2005 | China World Trade Center, Beijing | solo |
2005 | SELF-PORTRAITS | Carl Hammer Gallery, Chicago | group |
2005 | MERRY CHRISTMAS | Gallery Sun Contemporary, Seoul | group |
2005 | THE WIND | Missouri University, Columbus | group |
2005 | EYE OF CAMERA | Ward Nasse Gallery, New York | group |
2004 | ARMORY SHOW | International Contemporary Art Fair, New York | group |
2004 | CHRISTIE'S NEW YORK | Photography Auction, New York | group |
2004 | CHRISTIE'S NEW YORK | In-House Auction, New York | group |
2004 | EYE OF CAMERA | Ward Nasse Gallery, New York | group |
2004 | PHOTO LA | International Photography Art Fair, Los Angeles | group |
2003 | ARMORY PHOTOGRAPHY | The International Art Fair, New York | group |
2003 | OPEN YOUR EYES | Maronieer Art Center, The Korean Culture & Arts Foundation, Seoul | group |
2003 | ART CHICAGO | The International Art Fair, Chicago | group |
2003 | MARCH MADNESS | Bottom Feeders Gallery, New York | group |
2002 | ARMORY PHOTOGRAPHY | The International Photography Art Fair, New York | group |
2002 | THE ARMORY SHOW | The International Art Fair, New York | group |
2002 | ART CHICAGO | International Art Fair, Chicago | group |
2002 | ASIAN PHOTOGRAPHY 20 | Gallery Surge, Kinza | group |
2001 | Koh Sang Woo | The Korean Culture & Arts Foundation: Insa Art Space, Seoul | solo |
2001 | EXPLORING FUTURE STARS | Carl Hammer Gallery, Chicago | group |
2001 | MISS AMERICA, MAX MARA, Art Window Project | The School of Art Institute of Chicago | group |
2001 | ART TECH, THE NEXT GENERATION OF ART | Jean Albano Gallery, Chicago | group |
2001 | MICROWAVE MEDIA ART FESTIVAL | International Media Art Festival, Hong Kong | group |
2000 | MISS AMERICA | Graduation Exhibition, Gallery 2, Chicago | group |
2000 | FROM ADAM TO ATOM | New York Studio Program Gallery, New York | group |
2000 | JET PROPELLED, SUMMER SOLSTICE | Museum of Contemporary of Art, Chicago | group |
2000 | BODY LANGUAGE | Gallery X, The School of Art Institute of Chicago | group |