Do Ho Suh

Rubbing/Loving, STPI, Artist Studio 38, 41 Robertson Quay, Singapore, 238236

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Do Ho Suh, Rubbing/Loving, STPI, Artist Studio 38, 41 Robertson Quay, Singapore, 238236, 2017, Pastel on paper, 66 x 73.5 x 7 cm. Copyright: the artist. Image courtesy of the artist and Victoria Miro Gallery. Art Jameel Collection

Artwork Details

Artist

Do Ho Suh

Title

Rubbing/Loving, STPI, Artist Studio 38, 41 Robertson Quay, Singapore, 238236

Date

2017

Medium

Pastel on paper

Dimensions

66 x 73.5 x 7 cm

Credit Line

Art Jameel Collection

Work Description

Do Ho Suh uses the process of rubbing or frottage, to create ghostly, tactile drawings that rely on touch rather than sight and sensation rather than replication; for the artist, it is a method of exploration and discovery, one that is physical in its process while also demanding personal and emotional engagement. This method of obtaining an impression of a raised or textured surface by placing paper over it and rubbing it with graphite or crayon is also used in the development of Suh’s fabric works. 

Rather than photographing a space or taking measurements, Suh often creates rubbings on large sheets of paper to gain valuable information, such as the dimensions and physical characteristics of the space, as he begins to meticulously transpose it into his delicate fabrics. Here he takes four familiar household fittings commonly found on an entrance wall when you enter a property, such as a light switch and entry buzzer – each depicted in a different colour: yellow, green, pink and blue. 

The title of the work comments on the limitations, discrepancies and humour that come with bilingualism, particularly in the translation from his mother tongue to his adopted English. In Korean, there are no distinguishing sounds between the letters ‘l’ and ‘r’, or between the letters ‘b’ and ‘v’; therefore, the pronunciation of the English word “rubbing” sounds uncannily similar to that of “loving”. The confusion stemming from mispronunciations of these words creates a relationship that is important for Suh. Rubbing is an act of loving, and he employs it as a way to excavate spaces, caressing the walls to unveil their hidden stories.

Artist Biography

Do Ho Suh (b. 1962, Seoul, South Korea) lives and works in London

Through his  drawings, films, and sculptural installations, Do Ho Suh explores contemporary arrangements of space and the connection between individual and the group across global cultures, confronting questions of home, displacement and memory. He received a BFA in painting from Rhode Island School of Design (1994) and an MFA in sculpture from Yale University (1997) and has received many accolades, such as the Ho-Am Prize (2017) and represented Korea in the 49th Venice Biennale (2001). Suh has participated in several other biennial exhibitions such as the Chicago Architecture Biennial (2019); Singapore Biennial (2016) and 9th Gwangju Biennale (2012); amongst others. He has staged solo exhibitions and site-specific projects at institutions such as LACMA, Los Angeles, the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, Museum Voorlinden, The Netherlands (all 2019); Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington (2018); The Brooklyn Museum, New York, ARoS, Aarhus, Denmark (both 2018), among others. 

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