Page 13 - The Soul of East and West September 19 – 30, 2022 ARTA Gallery

Yukogunsankundo-Traveler in Daejang island, 2020, ink on Korean paper, 63”x51”

INHO CHO

“My paintings portray lives and existence found in nature as well as myself. The more brush strokes I make, the closer
I get to the world of freedom.” States Inho Cho, one of the leading Eastern Landscape artists in South Korea, who
contemplates the true meaning of life through various aspects of nature, such as landscape scenes, natural
sounds, and movements of the air. Cho prefers painting the natural beauty of the actual and contemporary places
in South Korea to imaginary, unrealistic places.
Once he finds a theme to work on, Cho carefully selects suitable locations to visit and finds inspiration from those
locations. While bringing the natural beauty onto his canvas, he focuses his inner eyes on himself, and painting
becomes a process of searching for the real meaning of his existence. While doing so, he also searches for the
importance of each location, the stories it holds, and the best way to convey the stories to those who come to
appreciate his work.
Cho received his BFA, MFA, and Ph.D in Eastern Painting from Seoul National University in Korea. He follows the
traditional Korean style of Landscape Painting (San-Soo-Wha). Furthermore, he gives more depth to his painting
by utilizing the effects of improvisation and accidentally occurring ink strokes.
In this exhibition, Cho successfully features the Gogunsan (Gogun Mountain) Islands located in GunSan City,
in North Junra Province, South Korea. Cho paints the beauty of these islands with delicate and detailed brush
strokes, like a poet who carefully composes his masterpiece.
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