The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department is pleased to announce that paintings by Kalamazoo, Michigan, based artist Inja Cho will be on display at the North Charleston City Gallery from August 1-30, 2016. The exhibition is free and open to the public.
In Rhythm of life, Cho presents a collection of abstract encaustic and oil paintings. Cho enjoys the demanding and occasionally chaotic process of working with encaustic, laboring through concepts of control versus spontaneity, flow, and patience. The work in the featured series was created using a unique and experimental method. First, the surface of each piece was transformed into a deeply layered, sculptable palette. Next, Cho called upon the same techniques of bold and free movements she uses for abstract oil on canvas paintings and added techniques of sculpture such as scraping, carving, and fusing of wax onto the surface. The final outcome of this demanding process and influence of the artist’s hand in manipulating the medium is an extremely expressive, complex, nuanced scene ostensibly in landscape. “As if bringing up water from a deep well, I attempted to bring out the color within colors and line within lines on the surfaces,” Cho explains. “Color to me is ‘self,’ representing ‘life.’ The richness of oil and encaustic paint did the perfect service for me in order to create the richness of life and my intense gratitude.”
Originally from South Korea, Inja Cho moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, in the early 1990s to attend school and work as a private school teacher and graphic designer. She went on to study fine art in painting at Western Michigan University (WMU). As part of a study abroad program through WMU, she had the opportunity to study painting and art history at the Studio Art Center International in Florence, Italy, with additional academic work at Art Students League in New York, New York. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including an International Women’s Exhibit in Gwang-Ju, South Korea; the Studio Art Center International alumni show in Florence, Italy; the Dupage Chicago Children’s Museum; Annmarie Sculpture Garden in Maryland; the Michigan State Legislature in Lansing, Michigan; and several others. In addition, Inja’s art is included in a number of corporate and private collections throughout Michigan and abroad. Most recently, her work received first place at the 2015 Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Fair in the 2D Mixed Media category. She often speaks to at risk youth and art groups to share stories that inspire and encourage people to express themselves through art. She is an active member of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo and the College Art Association and creates in her studio in Kalamazoo, Michigan. To learn more about the artist, visit injachogallery.com.
The North Charleston City Gallery is situated in two corridors of the northwest corner of the Charleston Area Convention Center, located at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston. Parking and admission are free during regular Convention Center operating hours, 9:00am – 5:00pm daily. Inquiries regarding the artist or purchase information may be directed to the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at (843)740-5854. For information on additional exhibits, programs, and events, visit the Arts & Culture section of the City’s website.