Sungho Cho: Abstract Portraits

Artist list

Sungho Cho

The work of Sungho Cho is solid as a rock. Which doesn't mean that it is enormous or impenetrable, far from it, but that its quality is inescapable. The jewellery pieces he presented during his graduation last February at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich convinced even by their mere diversity. Sometimes he had made well balanced compositions, sometimes poignant sketches, in a few cases he seemed to evoke an explosion. Cho's sense of humour and sophisticated understanding of materials and finishes gave each piece its own vigour.

Sungho Cho's expressive qualities didn't just drop out of the sky. After following a full bachelor and master education at the Seoul University in metalwork and jewellery, Manfred Bisschoff, David Bielander and Otto Künzli added a fair amount of gunpowder during Cho's educational stay in Europe. It immediately paid off: over the past years he won several awards and sold pieces to museums and collectors. Following his graduation presentation, the 'Abstract Portraits' exhibition at Galerie Rob Koudijs is Cho's first solo show.

The meaning behind Cho's portraits is - despite their convincing imagery - far from self-evident. One brooch presents you with a group of animals, in another several faces look you straight in the eye, often there is a delicate balance between the abstract and the figurative; the mood can be cheerful or dignified, but might also be verging on the agressive. Sungho Cho does not quickly lay all his cards on the table and his pieces hide many secrets, but this does not prevent his portraits from welcoming visitors and their interpretations with open arms.

Ward Schrijver (© Galerie Rob Koudijs)