Ji-Oh Choi 

The artist portrays the universe and the dignity of life inherent within small, ordinary, and everyday existences. By infusing personal emotions into the objects encountered in nature and daily life, the artist recreates them into unique, imaginative forms that communicate deeply with the viewer. Familiar objects within the works—such as fried eggs, ribbons, grapes, and plants—serve as mediums that convey hope and comfort to modern individuals, while functioning as symbols that represent the artist’s inner world.

By depicting dreamlike landscapes where reality and unreality intersect, the artist blends traditional Oriental painting techniques with a modern sensibility and surrealist elements, establishing a distinctive style of "Uian (Ideated) Painting" (Sa-ui-jeok Hoe-hwa). Moving beyond a personal narrative, the artwork resonates widely with the public, evoking a warm response by delivering messages of happiness and healing to contemporaries sharing the same era. Recently, the artist has continued to take broad and innovative steps, expanding the boundaries of the medium by incorporating various objects into traditional Oriental brushwork or utilizing media art.

Born in Seoul in 1966, the artist graduated with both a B.F.A. and an M.F.A. from the Department of Oriental Painting at Hongik University. Since holding the first solo exhibition in 2008, the artist has presented approximately 17 solo exhibitions. The artworks are included in the collections of prominent institutions both at home and abroad, including the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) Art Bank and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.