Cho Gi-Seok
Coexistence
Coexistence is Cho Gi-Seok’s first major exhibition and seeks to show a range of his work taken between 2018-2020. Gi-Seok’s photographs are characterized by deliberately worked-out compositions, where each choice – everything from light to colors, props and clothes – have been carefully thought through. He tries to capture the beauty inside his imagination. Gi-Seok aims to portray human existence in relation to his own generation, and whether it is a portrait of a person or a flower, his work reflects the complexity of the Korean culture, and the ambiguity of beauty that comes from the harmony between opposites. In his pictures, he conjures up a refined atmosphere focused on harmony, purity, and symbolism, where the beauty of the lines and the balance between human and nature are essential. One word he often comes back to in his work is Coexistence. From his perspective, everything around us – every flower, living being, place, and digital thing – is affected by everything else, and that is what constitutes our lives: humanity, nature, and even machines are all meant to live together, side by side.
Cho Gi-Seok (b. 1992) was born and is active in Seoul, South Korea. He is one of Asia’s most interesting fashion photographers and visual artists. Cho begun his career as a Graphic Designer for several Korean fashion labels, and later worked with scenography and as an Art Director, but he always longed to create his own pictures, where he would be able to control every part of the process. This longing made him start taking his own photographs of flowers and of his friends in Seoul, which soon led to commissions in the fashion world. Cho has worked with, among others, Vogue Korea, CR Fashion Book, Numero China, NIKE, Adidas, Gentle Monster, Cartier and many other famous fashion labels. He also runs his own fashion brand, Kusikohc, where he is currently the Creative Director. This also gives him ample opportunity to develop his work as a photographer