Simon Ko
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A Gathering, 2023
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Away, 2023
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Breather, 2023
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Fireflies, 2023
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Night lake seeker, 2023
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Night Market, 2023
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Sanctum, 2023
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Scorched, 2023
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Slow Waters, 2023
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Stopover, 2023
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Stopover, 2023
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The flying lesson, 2023
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The Real One, 2023
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Whispers near the bonsai tree, 2023
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Centered, 2022
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Even in Dreams, 2022
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Fall in, 2022
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Floaters, 2022
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Look at You, 2022
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Lost in the Air, 2022
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Lumens, 2022
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Night Prayers, 2022
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Night Wind, 2022
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Self Help, 2022
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Stay, 2022
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The Body Remembers, 2022
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A New Hope, 2021
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A Wandering Frame, 2021
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And Now Float, For You Believed..., 2021
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Beacon, 2021
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Cold Whisper, 2021
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Mortals, 2021
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Paper Crowns, 2021
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YJ, 2021
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The Lovely Bits, 2020
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Even hotter, a bit colder, 2023
Simon Ko is a painter currently based in Seoul, South Korea. He grew up in New York and received his Bachelor's degree in Fine Art from The Cooper Union in 2011, and a Master's degree in Fine Art from Yale University in 2017.
Ko’s work loosely references his own personal history as he explores the complexities of human emotion. He showcases idealised or streamlined versions of connection in an effort to communicate the idiosyncrasies of loving and being loved. Ko is specifically interested by the impact of connection on the self. This emotional exchange rests in each painting’s core and, a result, encourages a certain reciprocity between the artist and the viewer.
Ko’s process typically involves a mix of writing, sketching and occasionally working with a mode. His composition is defined and intentional. While his brush strokes are uncomplicated, his use of imagery is highly symbolic. Bubbles rising to the surface of the painting are memories of past connections, a flickering candle is the dying ember of a couple’s love. Such techniques allow Ko to subtly evoke a range of emotions, despite the graphic aesthetic he employs. His use of custom tools and modelling paste result in a highly textured and imperfect canvases. This stucco-esque effect is an intentional effort to mirror the imperfections and complexities of human relations, perfection is an illusion.
In the past few years, Ko has participated in several exhibitions internationally including solo-exhibitions with Nathalie Karg Gallery, New York, NY; Eve Gallery, Seoul, South Korea; Pipe Gallery, Seoul, South Korea; Seojung Art - Busan, Seoul, South Korea, and group exhibitions with Galerie BHAK, Seoul, South Korea, and Galerie Dengyun, Shanghai, China. His work has been featured in various publications including Art World Magazine, CNB Korea, and Artsy. He has held a residency at the Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT.
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Artists Past and Present
Nina Childress, Jessica Craig-Martin, Jim Drain, Jennifer Guidi, Paul Hosking, Vera Iliatova, Simon Ko, Jesse Mockrin, Sarah Peters, Nathlie Provosty, Elsa Sahal 26 Jun - 9 Aug 2024 -
Sparks
SIMON KO 10 Jan - 25 Feb 2023Nathalie Karg is pleased to present an exhibition of new paintings by Seoul-based artist Simon Ko. Sparks is his first exhibition with the gallery, and his debut solo exhibition in...Read more -
Won't You Be My Neighbor
P. BARRICKMAN, S. CAMERON, A. CATALA, A. CONDO, J. CRAIG-MARTIN, J. DICKSON, J. DRAIN, J. FYFE, D. GAUDIN, H. HAHN, P. HOSKING, S. KO, R. KUNOY, J. LEE, J. MOCKRIN, B. MULLEN, N. PROVOSTY, G. RODRIGUEZ 28 Oct - 31 Dec 2020
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Artsy: 7 Must-See Shows during Frieze Seoul
by Ayanna Dozier August 25, 2022Seojung Art July 29–August 28 Closing a few days before Frieze Seoul opens, the group show “Kwankyemang: Connectworking” at Seojung Art examines the strange alienation...Read more -
PIPE GALLERY: Simon Ko Interview
By Pipe Gallery August 27, 2021