Koo Bohnchang

Koo Bohnchang

From white porcelain to soap
Engraving the footprints of time.
Unobtrusively, serenely.


Koo Bohnchang, one of Korea's leading photographers, always deals with “the passage of time. He captures quiet, fragile moments and tries to capture invisible signs. Since 2004, Koo has photographed various collections of “white porcelain” in domestic and international museums, from the Japan Folk Art Museum to the British Museum, with the theme of “white porcelain,” a cultural heritage of Korea. In 2007, he published “Jewel of Life” (Rattles, Inc.) in Japan, in which he photographed “used soaps” that he had collected over the years. In 2007, he published a book in Japan titled “Everyday Treasures” (Rattles Inc.), in which he photographed his collection of “used soaps” that he had collected over the years. His work has been exhibited at Samsung Rodin Gallery in Seoul (2001), Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts (2002), Galerie Camera Obscura in Paris (2004), Kukje Gallery in Seoul, Whatsikan Museum of Contemporary Art, Kyoto (2006), Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (2006), and Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (2007). (2006), Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (2006), Goeun Museum of Photography in Busan (2007), Philadelphia Museum of Art (2010), and more than 40 solo exhibitions.

Profile

Koo Bohnchang（具本昌 / クー・ボンチャン）
1953年、韓国ソウル生まれ。延世大学では経営学を専攻し、後にドイツのハンブルクで写真を学ぶ。チョンアン大学、ソウル芸術大学、カイウォン芸術デザイン学校で教授を、ロンドンセントマーチン学校では客員教授を務めた。

Born in Seoul, Korea in 1953. He studied business administration at Yonsei University and later studied photography in Hamburg, Germany. He was a professor at Chung-Ang University, Seoul Institute of the Arts, and Kai Won School of Art and Design, and a visiting professor at St. Martin's School in London.

Bibliography

  • «Deep Breath in Silence»
  • «Revealed Personas»
  • «Vessels for the Heart»
  • «How to Capture the Touching Moment»
  • «Hysteric Nine»
  • «Vessel»
  • «くらしの宝石»

Exhibitions

  • His works have been exhibited in over 30 solo exhibitions including Samsung Rodin Gallery, Seoul (2001), Peabody Essex Museum, Massachusetts (2002), Camera Obscura, Paris (2004), Kukje Gallery, Seoul and Kahitsukan Kyoto Museum of Contemporary Art (2006), Goeun Museum of Photography, Busan (2007), Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia (2010) and many.

Public Collections

  • サンフランシスコ近代美術館（アメリカ）
  • ヒューストン美術館（アメリカ）
  • ギメ東洋美術館（フランス）
  • 大英博物館（イギリス）
  • 何必館・京都現代美術館（日本）
  • 国立現代美術館（韓国）
  • サムスン美術館リウム（韓国）　
  • His collections are at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Museum of Fine art, Houston, Kahitsukan Kyoto Museum of Contemporary Art, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea, Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul and publications are ‘Deep Breath in Silence’, ‘Revealed Personas’, ‘Vessels for the Heart’, 'How to Capture the Touching Moment' in Korea and ‘Hysteric Nine’, ‘Vessel’, ‘Everyday Treasures’ in Japan.