Do Ho Suh (b. 1962, Seoul, Korea; lives and works in London, New York and Seoul) works across various media, creating drawings, film, and sculptural works that confront questions of home, physical space, displacement, memory, individuality, and collectivity. Suh is best known for his fabric sculptures that reconstruct to scale his former homes in Korea, Rhode Island, Berlin, London, and New York. Suh is interested in the malleability of space in both its physical and metaphorical forms, and examines how the body relates to, inhabits, and interacts with that space. He is particularly interested in domestic space and the way the concept of home can be articulated through architecture that has a specific location, form, and history. For Suh, the spaces we inhabit also contain psychological energy, and in his work he makes visible those markers of memories, personal experiences, and a sense of security, regardless of geographic location.
Suh has long been interested in physically and metaphorically liminal spaces. Because his practice is itinerant, often moving between homes and or studios in New York, Seoul and London, Suh’s work mirrors both the immigrant experience as well as that of a person who has developed roots in multiple countries.
Through the shapes, lines, and volume of the fabric, Suh explores the notion of memory and conveys an idealized, otherworldly reproduction of the architectural space. As part of a series of works recreating the buildings in which he has previously lived, the artist continues to explore the notion of home in a nomadic, global society.
By isolating these seemingly mundane objects and spaces, Suh encourages viewers to focus in on the intricate details and reflect on one’s frequent and tactile relationship with these forms.