Su KAIDEN CHO

Interweaving Boundless
March 16 to April 21, 2024
A-Side

The artwork by the Korean American contemporary painter and sculptor Su Kaiden Cho resonates with ideas of minimalism or even abstraction—we are naturally inclined to categorize to create a sense of location. The artwork, undoubtedly, references minimalism at first glance, but it exceeds the minimalist movement’s elevation of rigid formalism. The artist doesn’t create the work in a vacuum. The artist is present even if we can’t see him figuratively in the work. Su Kaiden Cho’s pushback against defining his artistic oeuvre as simply abstract expressionism is also unsurprising. The ambivalence or even rejection to locate the artwork in the show by the artist to an artistic movement or genre points to his rejection of dogma—perhaps the Western art historical canon.

A closer look at the construction of the artwork or the materials used shows us an artistic practice defined by unruliness and extravagance—unruly because of the artist’s re-significations of the materials/mediums used. The materials used to create his pieces—mulberry paper, duck canvas, linen, reflective fleece, etc.—gesture at the extravagance of the artist’s practice. Extravagance here is not to suggest wastefulness or frivolity. The extravagance in the artist’s practices comes through in the creative exploration of the possibilities of materials used and shifts in interpretative registers they impart. We might consider Su Kaiden Cho’s artwork part of a larger performance, which comes through and is contingent on the spaces in which they are installed, the lighting, or the steps viewers take to arrive at his artwork. These and other elements shift how the artwork is seen and how viewers engage with the work.

About the Artist

Su Kaiden Cho, a Korean American contemporary artist originally from Seoul, South Korea, navigates a dual cultural identity through his artistic endeavors. His artistic repertoire spans painting, sculpture, and installation, pushing material boundaries to merge Eastern Asian and Western art forms. This exploration highlights social and cultural clashes tied to race and ethnic identity. Currently pursuing an MFA in Painting and Drawing at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), Cho earned his Bachelor of Visual Arts focusing on installation art and sculpture at the University of Colorado. He’s recognized as an award-winning artist and designer in Colorado Springs and acclaimed for his public sculptures by Downtown Partnership Colorado Springs. Cho’s exhibited his work widely across galleries in Chicago, Denver, Boulder, and throughout the Front Range in Colorado. His art serves as a platform for cross-cultural dialogue, encapsulating life complexities, blending diverse artistic methods, and challenging preconceived notions of identity.