Donghwan Ko
“My works revolve heavily around a strong affiliation towards understanding the dynamic nature of the spaces that we define as ‘home’.”
Interview by Rochelle Roberts
Could you tell us a bit about yourselves and your background? Where did you study?
I am a Korean artist based in South Korea and the UK. I was born in 1982 and I received my B.F.A in Painting from Hannam University, Korea in 2009. After graduation, I agonised over where to do my master's programme, as I knew I needed to develop my practice and have experiences of contemporary art outside of Korea. I had watched a TV programme that recounted the history of the Young British Artists (YBA) and outlined how contemporary art was developing in the UK. It was exciting, and their work seemed shocking at that time. The works of the YBAs represented a completely new view of contemporary art practice to me, so I decided that London would be the place for me to study. I arrived in London in 2012 and I received my Master of Fine Art from the Wimbledon College of Arts in 2014 and Professional Doctorate in Fine Art from the University of East London in 2017.
I love the use of colour and space in your work, and your continued exploration of 'the home'. Could you tell us a bit about where your inspiration comes from and what 'home' means to you?
I am interested in exploring the spaces that I have occupied in my past and the space I occupy in the present. My works revolve heavily around a strong affiliation towards understanding the dynamic nature of the spaces that we define as ‘home’. The space of the home is the most personal and private space; it is comfortable and it separates me from the outside world. But for me, a home is not a fixed space; rather, it is an imperfect space that changes or moves along with time. It is a temporary space that requires settlement and adaptation. Also, I think that a home is paradoxically comfortable, warm, complex, limited, temporary, divided, and empty. The spaces I have stayed in for a period of time have all become home to me, both psychologically and physically. I have considered what ‘home’ means to me and think about finding the meaning of the space I inhabit. I am an artist living in an era where people move around a lot and have to remain flexible while staying for varying lengths of time in different accommodations and cultures, adapting to the role of the migratory citizen in the contemporary world.
The Unspecific Identity of Specific Space ( 2020)
Preview - installation view, 2020, Temi Residency, Korea
You Are Here But I Am Not (2020)
There is a definite architectural quality to a lot of your work, not only in terms of structure but also the way it fits within an architectural frame (I'm thinking specifically about a work like The corner is a sort of half-box... which is displayed on the corner of a building). Could you speak about the importance of architecture to your work?
Architectural ideas are integral to my practice. The starting point for my past work was a simple cubic space. I think of a cube as the basic and most common 3-dimensional structure of an architectural space. Most buildings and rooms are composed of many cubic spaces constituted by connections of vertical and horizontal lines. I also think about architectural drawings, which are spaces waiting to be filled, spaces waiting to be given form and shape by the imagination. The work called “The Corner Is a Sort of Half-box” was painted in very bright colours and placed at one corner of a building located in a public square near a tube station that many people pass through on their way to work or back home. As they look at this work, I want them to react towards object placed out of context in a public square. And the work can be part of the building or extend from the corner. Also my current drawing and sculptural works are made by vertical and horizontal lines and architectural materials such as ceramic tile, timber, aluminium, metal panel, etc...
I really like how immersive some of your installations are, the ability for the viewer to interact with the art. Could you tell us about the process of constructing spaces for people to occupy? What are some of the considerations you have while doing this?
Although my work started from a very personal experience, I need people to interact with it to truly complete it. My latest solo exhibition required more audience participation. The sculptural works had wheels. They were made with curtains outside and bathroom tiles or moulding, attachments, or finishing materials on the walls in the main room. Some of the works were also made with mirrors on the outside so that the audience could see themselves reflected on the surface. These works were designed to make the audience move and reposition themselves. In order for the audience to participate directly or assimilate into the work, I used familiar materials and thought carefully about size. I think that if the materials had been too unusual or overwhelming or the sculptures too small in scale, the viewer might have found them unfamiliar and hard to relate to. I am always trying to draw the audience's attention through acts of repetition and labour. Through my works, I seek to break the fabrication that we often call the ‘public’, and to make the audience think about what comprises personal and public space.
Home Fragile Home - installation view, 2018, Gallery Dos, Korea
House of Blue Lines (2018)
The Unspecific Identity of Specific Space - installation view, 2020, Temi Residency, Korea
What artwork have you seen recently that has resonated with you?
During the COVID–19 crisis, I have not had the ability to visit galleries, so currently I see and research artworks on YouTube or Instagram. Now, my biggest interest is reading books rather than seeing exhibitions. I began to re-read Relational Aesthetics by Nicolas Bourriaud. I really like the idea of the relationship between art and society, and the book tells of interactive artwork that both induces spectators to take part in the artwork and projects social contexts onto the work. I am also interested in the author's theory that relational space derives from empathy and sharing. He comments on perceptions of space and time and creates continuous experiences. Recently, I became more interested in making work that I can focus on and mesh with other people's experiences and memories.
Tell us a bit about how you spend your day / studio routine? What is your studio like?
I recently moved to a new studio because I just finished a one-year artist residency programme in Korea. I don't have a lot of things in my studio yet, so I'm focusing on filling the space rather than making art. Usually before starting to create work, I spend most of my time reading books and watching movies in the studio. Sometimes, I spend the whole day quietly sitting down, listening to soft songs and making peaceful drawings, but other days I produce works through physical labour that includes cutting wood and using a hammer.
Is there anything new and exciting in the pipeline you would like to tell us about?
This past year has been a very tough time for most people around the world. As many people have died from COVID–19, it has become a time to rethink life and death. Surviving the virus is the first priority in our lives. I am also very influenced by this situation. Group exhibitions in the US and Korea have been cancelled, and it is not clear what will happen to other planned exhibitions. But I think that constantly creating work is the only way I can strive to get through this difficult time, so I am trying to work in the studio all day and prepare my next solo exhibition, which will be held in Korea this October.
All images are courtesy of the artist
Date of publication: 20/05/21
