Ahhi Choi

Installation View of ‘365 Inspiration’

Whitestone Gallery Seoul is pleased to present the first solo exhibition in Korea of the young artist Ahhi Choi (b.1983), titled 《365 Inspiration》, from June 15 to July 21. Ahhi Choi captures the subtle beauties of everyday life on canvas as if writing a diary. This exhibition features his latest series in delicate pastel tones, as well as various artworks including sculptures and pieces using skateboards.

UntitledAH-437_1, 2024, Acrylic on wood, 14.0 × 28.0 × 10.5

Reflecting on the journey of life he has traversed; the artist infuses his works with the subconscious formed along the way. Following language studies in Los Angeles, USA, Ahhi embarked on explorations of the western United States, venturing into vast national parks such as Death Valley and the Grand Canyon. During his travels, Ahhi deepened his appreciation and connection to the magnificence of nature, evolving these experiences into art.

UntitledAH-438_1, Acrylic on wood, 47.0 × 23.0 × 14.5

Subsequently, drawing inspiration from daily life, he continues to express his adventures as a form of diary, utilizing ink on paper or filling wooden panels with his unique abstract colors, lines, and textures. Through organic hand movements on paper, he interprets silhouettes, drawings, words, and characters derived from the well of memory into dynamic lines. Particularly, the visually striking lines, unmistakably bold, serve as elements within his artworks that transcend the boundaries of both Japan and Korea, embodying the inspiration of a third-generation Korean-Japanese diaspora, navigating the borders of both countries freely and fluidly, reflected paradoxically within his works.

UntitledAH-439_1, Acrylic on wood, 34.0 × 24.5 × 10.5

Born in Hyogo Prefecture Japan in 1983, Ahhi Choi is the third generation Korean-Japanese artist. The artist did not receive formal art education. Despite being an active skateboarder in high school and university, he attributes his ability to continue creating art to the freedom of drawing outside conventional frameworks. The bold curves in his works convey a sense of lively exhilaration, embodying his innate adventurous spirit. Choi began his career as a painter with his first exhibition in Japan in 2012, followed by a show at Ouchi Gallery in New York in 2013. Since then, he has participated in over 40 international art fairs across the USA, France, Italy, South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong, expanding his horizons as an artist. Besides painting, Choi engages in various artistic creations, including designing shoes, skateboards, wine labels, phone cases, CD covers, and even musical instruments. In 2020, he dedicated his artwork “Naka-ima” to the Ashiya Shrine and produced a consecration photograph. In 2022, he collaborated with Barney’s New York to create T-shirts, demonstrating his active collaborations with numerous fashion brands.

Whitestone Gallery
70 Sowol-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, 04326, Korea
02-318-1012

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