Tk (Taekyung) Suh
Bio: Tk Suh (b. 1993, Seoul, South Korea), currently lives and works in New York City. He received his BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is currently pursuing an MFA at Columbia University. Suh had solo exhibitions at CICA Museum (Gimpo, South Korea); LVS Gallery (Seoul, South Korea); Korean Cultural Center (Wheeling, IL); and Gallery No One (Chicago, IL). His work was also included in group shows at Thierry Goldberg Gallery (New York, NY), Mona Gallery (Chicago, IL), and Heaven Gallery (Chicago, IL) among others.
tksuh.com
Instagram @tk_50h
Thesis Exhibition
Artist Statement: I use painting as a way to reconstruct my internal experiences and explore seemingly unrecognizable emotions through personal allegories. These reflect my own desires as a drifter in life as well as the societal pressures and responsibilities demanded of a painter. I convey these thoughts through metaphorical images like legs, shoes, and falling figures. For example, legs in my paintings imply several meanings beyond literal movement like the resistance against gravity, rigorous labor, and even violence towards others. Through these personal metaphors, I intend to create tension between clarity and ambiguity, provoking questions and triggering a range of emotions.
The painting process is a crucial tool I leverage to heighten drama within my narrative and evoke absurdity. Starting with references from daily sketches and writings, I deliberately diverge from the predetermined image as I process. I alter my composition and incorporate exaggerated colors to intentionally distort experiences, liberating my works from the constraints of reality. This approach allows me to create an unconventional world in my works, existing in a distant yet parallel dimension.
Taekyung (Tk) Suh
Metamorphosis (2), 2023
Oil on canvas
Courtesy of the artist
&
Sweeping Memory, 2024
Oil on canvas
Courtesy of the artist
&
Scrapped Night, 2024
Oil on canvas
Courtesy of the artist
&
Constrained Freedom, 2024
Oil on canvas
Courtesy of the artist
&
Blank Canvas Phobia, 2023
Oil on canvas
Courtesy of the artist
First Year Exhibition
Tk (Taekyung) Suh
Teenage Blue, 2023
Oil on canvas
48" x 60" x 1.5"
Courtesy the artist
