The Embassy of the Republic of Korea and STPI is delighted to present Do Ho Suh: New Works, featuring latest works by South Korean artist Do Ho Suh developed during his second residency at STPI. Known for his large-scale fabric installations and sublime architectural compositions of past homes, Suh has seamlessly translated compelling three-dimensional forms into the two-dimensional at STPI, with delicate thread drawings embedded in paper. These reflect the transnational dilemma of home and belonging, malleable spaces and memory, as well as the boundaries of identity.

The exhibition showcased Suh’s lithographies and rubbings – the latter of which he created using pastels over paper-covered surfaces of seemingly unremarkable objects that feature in everyday life, such as electrical sockets, door handles and lift buttons. These sculptural pieces represent the architecture of spaces he feels an attachment to, preserving the experience of living in them through these symbolisms. “Papermaking and printmaking is not a medium that I use all the time,’ stated Suh. “When I came here, I was more open-minded and open to whatever STPI suggested I explore.”

This breakthrough in Suh’s repertoire from his first residency in 2010 marked a significant innovation of working with paper pulp at STPI, leading to the artist’s return to develop these drawings further. “I started to develop the series of thread drawings during my first residency,’ says Suh. ‘In many ways, it was very successful for me and for STPI as well. So naturally it led to the second residency”.

Personal and largely autobiographical, these works also address universal journeys and experiences, provoking viewers to reflect on stories that define their own real and imagined lives.

This exhibition was part of the Korea Festival 2015 in celebration of Korea’s 70th anniversary of liberation and 40 years of diplomatic ties with Singapore.