Choi Byung-Kwan studied at Chung-Ang University, Korea and at the Paris 8 University of Arts Plastiques and is currently a professor at the Sangmyung University Photo Academy, Korea. He has had solo exhibitions in New York, Berlin, Seoul, Amsterdam, Paris and Shanghai and been included in shows in Beijing, Moscow, Houston and London. His work is held in several notable collections worldwide.
Throughout his ongoing exploration of bamboo, Choi Byung-Kwan creates striking monochrome photographs of bamboo forests, meticulously studying the plants to create sublime, almost meditative images. ‘If documentary photographs are close to novels,’ Choi writes, ‘in my opinion, my photography is closer to poetry.’ Shot in various locations throughout Korea, Choi’s artistic practice pairs a rich aesthetic attentiveness with an astounding quality of technique.
Channeling a rich philosophical approach through a close attention to the natural world, Choi views nature as a key touchstone on a path to enlightenment and healing. This body of work celebrates the significance of bamboo within Korean aesthetic tradition, evoking the properties of SongJukJiJeol (松竹之節 unchanging integrity) and SongGyoJiSu (松六之寿 strong nobility) in his beautiful rendering of the plants.
These aesthetic themes are gracefully expressed in ‘Bamboo Square' and ‘Bamboo Panorama’, Choi’s focus on the bamboo ‘line’ playing with rigid geometries found in the natural world. Taken in the heart of the bamboo forests and beautifully rendered, the charcoal darkness of the prints are punctuated with only subtle bamboo forms. In contrast to the darkness evoked in these images, works like ‘Bamboo Grey’ highlight the white space between the plants, using minimal geometric forms to mindfully guide the eye of the viewer.
In ‘Mother-of-Pearl’, Choi celebrates the value of traditional Korean lacquerware, juxtaposing bamboo images against artisanal mother-of-pearl frames. This creative combination of natural imagery and artisanal craftsmanship speaks beautifully to Choi’s own photographic approach: the splendour of nature framed by an expert craftsman.
