Young-Hoon KO South Korean, b. 1952
Young-Hoon Ko is particularly renowned for his depictions of stones, often set against open books, printed pages, or newspapers. Through meticulous execution, he precisely renders the textures, volumes, and shadows of his subjects, lending the painting an almost photographic quality.
His compositions thus invite reflection on notions of reality, illusion, and representation, transforming the painting itself into a space where the real can be recreated and transformed.
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Young-Hoon KoA Strange Book, 1988Acrylic and collage on paper, mounted on canvas112 x 160 cm (44 1/8 x 23 5/8 in.)Signed and dated bottom right
Young-Hoon Ko is a South Korean painter born in 1952 on Jeju Island. He studied Western painting at Hongik University in Seoul, earning his degree in 1976 and subsequently a master's degree in 1982. He held his first solo exhibition in Jeju in 1976.
From the 1970s onwards, Ko developed a style of painting based on the highly precise depiction of natural and everyday objects, particularly stones. He gradually gained recognition for compositions featuring stones set in almost surreal spaces, or placed upon open books, printed pages, or newspapers. This artistic exploration gave rise to his renowned "Stone Book" series.
His work plays with the boundary between the actual object and its pictorial representation. The precision with which he renders textures, volumes, and shadows lends the objects an almost tangible presence, while simultaneously creating an ambiguity between illusion and reality.
Ko participated in the 42nd Venice Biennale in 1986 and has since exhibited regularly in Korea, Europe, the United States, and Japan. His works are held in numerous international institutional collections, including the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Korea, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and the Lunéville Museum.
Young-Hoon Ko lives and works in Seoul.