Artist Suh Do-ho, 64, often hears viewers reflect on their own lives when they see his work. At a press conference for his solo exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul on August 26, he stated, "Many people tell me that my work makes them think about their own lives. I want to share that positive aspect with many others."
For over 30 years, Suh has built a unique artistic world on the international stage, and now he is connecting with Korean audiences. The exhibition features more than 500 pieces, including unpublished early works from his university days, representative pieces, and ongoing projects across various mediums such as drawing, sculpture, video, and installation.
Growing up in Seoul, Suh moved to the United States in 1991 and has lived in various cities around the world. His experiences of relocating in unfamiliar cities have led him to explore themes of 'home,' 'memory,' 'movement,' and 'identity.'
This exhibition showcases several of his 'fabric homes.' For Suh, the traditional Korean house, or 'hanok,' represents a connection to his parents. In the late 1960s, when Western-style apartments were highly sought after, his parents commissioned the last master carpenter of the Joseon Dynasty, Bae Hee-han, to build a hanok, modeled after the Yeonkyungdang in Changdeokgung Palace. Suh remarked, "At a time when no one was building hanoks, my parents chose to build one while others envied Western-style apartments."
It took six years to construct that hanok, and Suh's family lived right next door, allowing him to witness the entire process. He described it as "a gift from my parents," stating, "It greatly helped me shape my identity as a Korean architecturally and spatially."
The exhibition includes 'Loving/Loving: Seoul House,' which Suh describes as a self-portrait of himself and his father, as well as 'Perfect House: London, Horsham, New York, Berlin, Providence, Seoul,' which reconstructs memories and traces of homes he has lived in across various cities. Another piece, 'Nest/Rooms,' reimagines hallways, doors, and rooms from those homes as a continuous architectural space.
Every doorknob and switch he has touched daily is an object infused with energy. "There’s a saying that even a rock will warm up if you hold it for three years. I believe the doorknobs I’ve touched countless times over 25 years contain my energy," he said.
His concept of home evolves with his life. "Most of the works where I made homes from fabric were created when I was single. They emerged from conversations with empty rooms while I sat alone. That’s why I made the empty rooms from fabric. There was nothing between the room and me."
However, after getting married and having children, people began to fill those empty rooms. "With marriage and children, home transformed from a mere physical space into a 'family.' The stories that arise from the presence of people between me and the room become part of the home. Expanding that concept leads to schools, societies, nations, and even the universe."
As he transitioned from son to husband and father, these life changes influenced his artwork. The latest pieces in this exhibition emphasize 'fatherhood.' He has collected his children's clothes and belongings over ten years without discarding them, turning them into art.
His thoughts on 'tradition' have also evolved. In his youth, he did not see it as his responsibility to carry on Korean traditional culture. However, as he ages, he contemplates what he will leave for the next generation.
This exhibition allows him to delve deeply into his 'roots.' Suh stated, "Although I left Korea in my late twenties, I wanted to show Korean audiences the context I possess." The exhibition includes a seed bank of works from his childhood, representing the seeds that have formed his artistic world.
Recently, the Buddhist concept of 'Jungsaeng Hwaehyang' has been on his mind. It embodies altruism, wishing for collective happiness rather than just accumulating merit for oneself. "I don’t know why this thought keeps coming to me. In any case, it means sharing what one has with the public," he explained.
Having exhibited at major museums worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Whitney Museum, Guggenheim Museum, and Tate Modern, Suh felt a growing sense of obligation to hold an exhibition in Korea. When the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art offered him an exhibition opportunity, he gladly accepted. This exhibition serves as a realization of his concept of 'Hwaehyang.'
'Hwaehyang' is also closely related to the theme of 'connection' that runs through his body of work.
"The foundation of Korean spiritual culture includes Confucianism, Buddhism, and Shamanism. Within that philosophical framework, we seem to feel a stronger sense of connection than Westerners do, often unconsciously. This thought naturally emerges in my work and has now become a belief of mine," he said.
The exhibition will run at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul from August 27 to February 9, 2027.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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