Do Ho Suh

Do Ho Suh is a South Korean contemporary artist renowned for his captivating installations that explore themes of identity, displacement, and the concept of home. His primary mediums include sculpture, installation art, and drawing.

Suh is known for meticulously reproducing architectural forms and objects through fabric.

Biography of Do Ho Suh

Do Ho Suh was born in 1962 in Seoul, South Korea, and currently divides his time among studios in London, New York, and Seoul.

In 1985, he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, followed by a Master of Fine Arts in 1987, both from SNU. After completing his mandatory military service in South Korea, he relocated to the United States in 1991 to pursue studies at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).

Suh's application to RISD, the only American art institution that accepted him, was motivated by his intention to relocate to the US with his first wife, a Korean-American graduate student. This move provided the artist with the opportunity to establish his career independently, detached from his father's prominence in Korea.

Suh's shift towards sculpture is credited to artist Jay Coogan, under whom Suh enrolled for a figuration course during his early days at RISD. Additionally, Suh pursued pattern-making classes at RISD, which were pivotal in honing the fundamental skills essential for his fabric-based work."

Persisting in his exploration of sculpture, Suh pursued advanced studies at Yale University, attaining a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1997. During his time at Yale, Suh crossed paths with Rirkrit Tiravanija, a pivotal encounter that propelled his entry into the New York art scene.

In 2001, Suh represented Korea at the 49th Venice Biennale in Venice. 

Suh's works are part of collections worldwide, prominently featured in esteemed institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Tate, London; and Leeum, Seoul, among many others. He is represented by reputable galleries Lehmann Maupin and Victoria Miro.

Art projects of Do Ho Suh

Architecture has been a pivotal point of reference for the artist since the mid-1990s. Suh's ability to blur the boundaries between sculpture and architecture often results in the embodiment of architectural forms. His choice of materials, including rice paper and fabric reminiscent of hanbok attire, deliberately nods to traditional Korean art and architecture.

Upon his arrival in the United States, Suh began a practice of meticulously measuring the spaces he encountered in his new environments. He embarked on a journey of experimentation, seeking to transform these spaces. An example of this approach is his temporary installation at RISD, where Suh introduced a laminated birch panel to the hallway floor. Additionally, a long curved rod compelled passersby to traverse its curve to navigate the hallway ('Hallway' (1993)).

"Floor" (1997-2000)

In this site-specific installation, the gallery floor was elevated, inviting visitors to traverse forty glass panels upheld by an intricate network of 180,000 cast plastic human figures. This creation gained recognition as part of the 2001 Venice Biennale.

"Paratrooper" (2003-ongoing)

In Suh's 'Paratrooper' series, a distinctive elliptical fabric piece takes center stage, intricately embroidered with the names of individuals connected to Suh. Strikingly, the threads carrying these names extend beyond the fabric's confines, converging into the grasp of a sculptural representation of a paratrooper standing elevated upon a platform. 'Paratrooper' marked a significant milestone as Suh's first work unveiled and exhibited in Korea.

"Thread Drawings" (2011-ongoing)

Suh's artistic repertoire includes a series of drawings that ingeniously incorporate thread into the very fabric of paper. This innovative technique originated during his residency at the Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI) in 2011. Early iterations of this process involved directly stitching damp paper and sewing delicate tissue paper, which was then dissolved to transfer the drawing onto thicker paper.

Suh's artistic explorations extend to various mediums, including lithography and etching, as well as his ongoing project 'Rubbing / Loving.' In this ongoing endeavor, commonplace objects are covered in paper and gently rubbed with pastels, resulting in a unique tactile transformation.

A more contemporary aspect of Suh's artistic journey is evident in his meticulously crafted Cyanotypes. This printing technique imparts an ethereal quality to recognizable imagery, rendering them as silhouettes in varying shades of cyan blue. This intricate process deepens the exploration of concepts related to self, identity, and the idea of home.