Koo Bohnchang

Lives and works in Seoul, Korea


2010-2018
Professor, Kyungil University of Photography&Video

2000-15
Chairman of Geonhi Art Foundation

2008
Art Director, Daegu Photo Biennale 2008

2004
Guest Professor, Pentiment, Hamburg Summer School 

1999-01
Professor of Photography, Kaywon College of Art and Design, Anyang

1999
Visiting Professor, Central Saint Martin's College of Art and Design, London 

1997
International Fellowship, Stanley Picker Gallery, Kingston University, London 

1992
Guest Professor, Pentiment, Hamburg Summer School 

1986-98
Photography lecturer, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 

1980-85
Diploma Fotodesign, Fachhochschule, Hamburg 

1971-75
Yonsei University (Business Administration), Seoul 


Awards

2024
15th Seoul Culture Today Cultural Awards Special Grand Prize, Korea

2022
63rd Samil Prize: Arts, Korea

2015
47th Republic of Korea Culture and Arts Award, Korea

2014
Dong Gang Photography Award, Korea

2003
Gangwon Documentary Prize, Korea 

2000
Lee Myoungdong Prize, Korea


SOLO Exhibitions

2023
'Koo Bohnchang’s Voyages', Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea
'Self-Portrait', Galerie Camera Obscura, Paris, France
'Return of Cheonma', Gyeongju National Museum, Gyeongju, Korea 
‘Lingering in Time’, Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Guangzhou, China

2022
‘Lingering in Time’, Three Shadows Xiamen Photography Art Centre, Xiamen, China
‘Koo Bohnchang - MASK’, Gangneung Museum of Art, Gangneung. Korea

2021
‘Lingering in Time’, Modern Studio ZIWU, Shanghai, China
‘Lingering in Time’, Three Shadows Photography Art Centre, Beijing, China

2020
‘Light Shadow’, Korean Cultural Centre Australia Gallery, Sydney, Australia
‘Dreams of Blue and White’, HK Art and Antiques, New York, USA

2019     
‘Beyond the silver’, SPACE 22, Seoul, Korea       
‘Clandestine Pursuit in the Long Afternoon’, Zen Foto, Tokyo, Japan
‘Incognito’, The Museum of Photography, Seoul, Korea
‘The Allure of Blue’, Ivorypress, Madrid, Spain

2018     
‘Koo Bohnchang Early Works 1970-1990 my beginnings’, Gallery Bundo, Daegu, Korea       
‘Koo Bohnchang’, Changseong-dong laboratory, Seoul, Korea
‘Acqua’, Acquario Civico Milano, Milano, Italy
‘Mask’, Gallery 343, Seoul, Korea

2016
‘花’, Shinsegae Gallery Incheon, Incheon, Korea
‘花’, Shinsegae Gallery Gwangju, Gwangju, Korea
‘White Vessels’, Tomio Koyama Gallery, Tokyo, Japan

2015
‘Porcelain Time’, Yido Gallery, Seoul, Korea
‘Koo Bohnchang’, Nanohana Gallery, Hakone, Japan

2014
‘White On White’, Villa Flor, S-chanf, Switzerland
‘Open end’ Galleria Carla Sozzani, Milano, Italy
‘Dong Gang Photography Award Exhibition <KOO Bohnchang>', Dong Gang Museum of Photography, Yeongwol, Korea 
‘Koo Bohnchang Archives:18 Exhibitions’, The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea 
‘Jung Hai-chang: an encounter with the still life works of Koo Bon-chang’, Trunk Gallery, Seoul, Korea 

2013
‘Slow Talk’, Ivorypress, Madrid, Spain
‘Interpretation of Surface’, Bundo Gallery, Daegu, Korea 
‘The Interpretation of landscape', J - Hee Gallery, Gwangju, Korea 
‘Happy memories', Ryugaheon gallery, Seoul, Korea 

2011
‘Bohnchang Koo’, Kukje gallery, Seoul, Korea 
‘The Baptist’, Nuda gallery, Daejeon, Korea 
‘Snow, Jeju Island’ Trunk gallery, Seoul, Korea 

2010
‘Plain Beauty: Korean White Porcelain/Photographs by Bohnchang Koo’, Philadelphia Museum of Art, USA
‘Masks’, Stone Art Museum, Duson Art Museum, Jeju, Korea 

2009
‘Vessel · Soap · Interiors’, Galerie Camera Obscura, Paris, France
‘Purity’, Galerie Raum mit Licht, Vienna, Austria
‘Pencil of Nature’, Gallery Bow, Ulsan, Korea 

2008
‘In the Beginning’, Trunk Gallery, Seoul, Korea 
‘Coolness and Passion’, MBC Gallery M, Daegu, Korea 

2007
‘Bohnchang Koo’, Goeun Museum of Art, Busan, Korea 
’Bohnchang Koo’, Galerie 206, Berlin, Germany
‘Soap’, Koyama Gallery, Tokyo, Japan

2006
’Bohnchang Koo’, Hasted Hunt Gallery, New York, USA
‘Vessel’, Kukje Gallery, Seoul, Korea 
‘Koo Bohnchang’, Kahitsukan, Kyoto Museum of Contemporary Art, Kyoto, Japan

2005
‘Portraits of Time’, White Room Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
‘La beaute endormie’, Langon, France

2004
‘Masks’, ‘White’, Galerie Camera Obscura, Paris, France

2003
‘Bohnchang Koo: Recent work’, Ricco Maresca Gallery, New York, USA
‘Masks’, The Museum of Photography, Seoul, Korea 
‘White’, ‘In the Beginning’, Picture Photo Space, Osaka, Japan

2002
‘Fragile Tremors’, San Diego Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego, USA
‘Masterworks of Contemporary Korean Photography’, Peabody Essex Museum, Massachusetts, USA
‘In the Beginning’, Shadai Gallery, Tokyo, Japan

2001
Base Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
Prinz Gallery, Kyoto, Japan
Samsung Rodin Gallery, Seoul, Korea 
Patricia Sweetow Gallery, San Francisco, USA 

2000
‘White Series’, Ricco Maresca Gallery, New York
‘Good-Bye Paradise’, Galleri Image, Aarhus, Denmark 

1999
‘Flow’, Gallery Won, Seoul, Korea  

1995
‘In the Beginning’, Gallery Ississ, Kyoto, Japan
‘Breath’, Seomi Gallery, Seoul, Korea  

1993
‘Good-Bye Paradise’, Seomi Gallery, Seoul, Korea  

1990
‘The Sea of Thought’, Seomi Gallery, Seoul, Korea  

1988
‘Clandestine Pursuit in the Long Afternoon’, Gallery Busan, Korea  

1987
‘One Minute Monologue’, Gallery Wide, Tokyo, Japan
Photo Interform, Osaka, Japan 

1985
‘Twelve Deep Sighs’, Hanmadang Gallery, Seoul, Korea  

1984
Fotogenes, Hamburg, Germany

1983
Pine Hill Gallery, Seoul, Korea 


Group Exhibitions

2023
‘Ceramic Ritual Vessel, Connecting Heaven and Earth’, Gyeonggi Ceramic Museum, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
‘White Anthology’, Korean Craft Museum, Cheongju, Korea
‘Five by Five’, Chuncheon Cultural Foundation, Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, Korea
‘Korean Contemporary Photography Exhibition; Insights into Nature and Humanity’, Korean Cultural Center in Hungary, Budapest, Hungary
2022
‘Making Worlds’, Art Gallery NSW, Sydney, Australia
‘Morning Calm’, Francis Gallery, LA, USA
‘LA TEXTURA DE LAS PROMESAS’, kutxa kultur artegunea, San Sebastián, Spain
‘Soap’, Ryugaheon gallery, Seoul, Korea
‘Between pictures and pictures’, Gangneung Art Center, Gangneung, Korea
‘Dear, Photography’, MAF, Seoul, Korea
‘Paik Nam June Effect’, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Gwacheon, Korea
‘White Porcelain’, Seoul Museum of Craft Art, Seoul, Korea
‘Motion in Stillness: Tracing the Spirit of Korea – Unfolding Clay Art’, Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park, Koka, Japan
‘One Piece of Essense’, Canon Gallery, Seoul, Korea
‘UNCOMMERCIAL: Korean Commercial Photography, 1984 and Beyond’, ILMIN Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea
‘The Hidden Masterpiece’, Gallery BK, Seoul, Korea

2021
‘Moonlight Sonata: Hanji Walk and Contemporary Art’, Jeonbuk Museum of Art, Korea
‘Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, China
‘Post Modernity: Modernity / Hyper Reality: Reality’, Jeju Museum of Art, Jeju, Korea

2020
‘SIX PERSPECTIVES’, Gwangju National Museum, Gwangju, Korea
‘The 30th Anniversary of Korea-Russia Diplomatic Relations, The Centennial of Korean Art Photography, 1920-2020’,
The State Russian Museum and Exhibition Centre ROSPHOTO, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
‘FORME’, Galerie Camera Obscura, Paris, France

2018
‘Frames after Frames: Modern Photography Movement of Korea from 1988 to 1999’, Daegu Art Museum, Daegu, Korea
‘Still Life I – Still Remembering’, Art Space J, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
‘GMoMA Collection Highlights’, Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
‘MEGA SEOUL 4 DECADES’, Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines, Philippines
‘Water, Embracing Life’, Gallery Hyeyum, Gwangju, Korea
‘The Portrait With(out) Artists’, Nam Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea
Blooming at the Junction,  Korean Cultural Center Hong Kong, Hong Kong

2017
‘Uri Korea – Ruhe in Beschleunigung’, Museum MARKK, Hamburg, Germany

2016
‘Getxophoto 2016’, Gexto, Spain
‘(Extra) Ordinary’, Korean Cultural Centre Gallery, Sydney
‘Unconscious Aesthetics, Breathing Heritage: Contemporary Korean Ceramics’, The Fondation Bernardaud, Limoges
‘Noonbit Collection of Korean Photographer’s Works’, Ryugaheon gallery, Seoul
‘Unfamiliar memory, Unfamiliar time, Unfamiliar space’, Gallery Now, Seoul
‘Public to Private: Photography in Korean Art since 1989’, The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul
‘Chefs-d'œuvre de la céramique coréenne’, Grand Palais, Paris
‘室礼 —Offerings— II’, The Terminal Kyoto, Kyoto
‘Vies silencieuses’, Galerie Camera Obscura, Paris, France
‘KOREA NOW’, Korea Cultural Center, Brussels, Belgium
‘Cheong Chul Eo Lam’, Hyundai Dept. Store Gallery H, Daegu

2015
‘People, remembered’, Art Space J, Gyeonggi
‘A Homage to Korean Architecture-Wisdom of the Earth’, Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul
‘simsimhada’, Doosung Paper Gallery, Seoul
‘In the Spirit of George Rose’. KF Gallery, Seoul
‘조선 백자의 혼을 담다.’Choi Sunu House, Seoul
‘Le Parfum dans tous les sens’, Jardins du Palais Royal, Paris
‘BODY’, Handok Museum of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eumseong  
‘Invitation to Korean Dining’, Roma Verso Expo, Roma
‘Simple Forms: Contemplating Beauty’, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo
‘Lies of Lies on Photography’, Total Museum, Seoul
‘BEYOND THE BORDERS’, Culture Station Seoul 284, Korea
‘OBIECTA’, Giacomo Guidi, Roma

2014
‘Kitchen’, Onyang Folk Museum, Asan, Korea
‘Form As Thinking - Rediscovery of Drawing’, Museum SAN, Wonju, Korea
‘Korean Beauty Two Kinds of Nature’, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea
‘Dual Natures in Ceramics’, SFO Museum, San Francisco
‘Admiration of White Porcelain’, Seoul Museum, Seoul

2013
‘Korea-China Ceramics Art Exhibition’ Gyeonggi Ceramic Museum, Gyeonggi, Korea
‘사진의 터’, Art Space J, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
‘Sakura’, Tanakaya Gallery, Hirosaki, Japan

2012
‘Mega Seoul 4 decades’, The Museum of Photography, Seoul, Korea
‘Motherhood’, Ewha Womans University Museum, Seoul, Korea
‘달하 노피곰 도다샤 어긔야 머리곰 비취오시라’, Ilwoo space, Seoul
‘FOLD lll: USELESS / Upcycling in Art + Design’, Art+Shanghai Gallery, Shanghai

2011
‘Korean Spirit ; six Photographers’, Goyang, Korea
‘Books & Objects’, Shinsegae Gallery, Seoul
‘紙花’, Kokdu museum, Seoul
‘Fold3’, Art+Shanghai gallery, Shaghai, China

2010
‘A Positive View’, Somerset House, London
‘Chaotic Harmony: Contemporary Korean Photography’, Santa Barbara Museum of Art
‘Eternal Blinking: Contemporary Art of Korea’, University of Hawaii
Biennale International de l’Image a Luang Prabang

2009
‘The Face beyond Faces’, Sungkok Museum, Seoul
‘Chaotic Harmony: Contemporary Korean Photography’, MFAH, Houston
‘Met First, Yet Familiar, Korean Contemporary Photograph’, 798 Space, Beijing
‘Art Road 77 - with art, with artist!’, Lee & Park Gallery, Paju
‘The Face beyond Faces’, Dong-gang International Photo Festival 2009, Dong-gang Museum of Photography, Yeongwol
‘2009 Odyssey’, Seoul Arts Center, Seoul
‘Made in Korea’, Hannover Messe 2009, Hannover
‘Translated Celadon: The Five Different Stories’, Haegang Ceramics Museum, Icheon
‘Three Photographers’, Canon Plex, Seoul
‘Problem’, Dr.Park Gallery, Yangpyeong-gun
‘Serotonin’, Gallery Now, Seoul
‘Valentine's Day! Art for You!’, 915 Industry Gallery, Seoul
‘Artists and Moon Jars’, Gallery Hyundai Gangnam, Seoul  

2008
‘Gaze’, Gallery Grimson, Seoul
‘Back to the Roots’, Gallery Soheon, Daegu
‘Bohnchang Koo & Maggie Taylor’, Verve Gallery of Photography, Santa Fe
‘Contemporary Korean Photographs 1948-2008’, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Gwacheon
‘Inspired Simplicity: Contemporary Art from Korea’, Seattle Art Museum
‘Treasures Within’, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul
‘Emotional Scenes’, Blanca Berlín Gallery, Madrid
‘Today's Korean Art <The World of Expression>’, Seoul Arts Center, Seoul

2007
‘Chuseok - Korean Harvest Festival’, Gallery Talk ‘The Korean Moon Jar’, The British Museum, London
‘Painterly Photos’, Leehwaik Gallery, Seoul
‘Void in Korean Art’, Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul

2005
‘Stilled’, Gallery 339, Philadelphia 

2004
‘Water’, FotoFest 2004, Houston
‘What happens between Art and Popular Culture’, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea

2003
‘Facing Korea’, Foam Fotografiemuseum, Amsterdam
‘East of Eden’, Parasol Unit Foundation for Contemporary Art, London, UK 

2002
‘Two Korean Photographers’, Photo-Eye Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
‘Korean Contemporary Photography’, Museum of Modern Art, Saitama, Sendai Mediatheque, Japan
‘Floating’, Art Center Silkeborg Bad, Denmark
‘Everyman: A Search for the Male Form’, Camera Work, San Francisco 

2001
‘Awakening’, Australian Centre for Photography, Sydney 

2000
‘Standing on the Threshold of Time’, Odense Foto Triennale, Denmark
‘Contemporary Korean Photographers’, FotoFest 2000, Houston
‘Moonlight Becomes You - A Thousand and One Nights of Peace on Earth’, The Center for Photography at Woodstock, New York

1999
‘Phenomena’, Friends of Photography, Ansel Adams Center, San Francisco
‘Fragments of Document and Memory’, 3rd Tokyo International Photo-Biennale, Metropolitan Museum of Photography, Tokyo 

1998
‘Landscape and Man’, Ostasiatiska Museum, Stockholm      
‘Alienation and Assimilation’, Museum of Contemporary Photography, Columbia College, Chicago 

1996
A.O.I. Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
‘Art at Home’, Seomi Gallery, Seoul

1995
Gwangju Museum of Modern Art, Gwangju, Korea
Sonje Museum of Contemporary Art, Gyeongju, Korea
‘Body or Gender’, Gallery Nun, Seoul 

1994
Pima Community College Art Gallery, Tucson, Arizona 

1993
’The 1st Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art’, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia 

1990
Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York 

1988
‘The New Wave of Photography’, Walkerhill Art Center, Seoul 

1987
‘Lying Down as if Being Dead with Narrow Eyes’, Hanmadang Gallery, Seoul


Collections

The British Museum, London
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Asian Art Museum, S.F. 
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Santa Barbara Museum of Art, California
Seattle Asian Art Museum, Seattle
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Denver Art Museum
Museum of Art and Craft, Hamburg
Musée Carnavalet, Paris
Musée Guimet, Paris
Fondation Herzog, Basel
Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney, Australia
State Library Victoria, Australia
Reykjavik Museum of Photography, Iceland
Kahitsukan, Kyoto Museum of Contemporary Art, Kyoto
Shadai Gallery, Tokyo
Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka
National Museum of Contemporary Art, Gwacheon
Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul
Municipal Museum of Art, Daejeon
Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul
Sonje Museum of Contemporary Art, Gyeongju
The Museum of Photography, Seoul
Amorepacific Museum of Art, Seoul
Busan Museum of Art, Busan
Jeju Museum of Contemporary Art, Jeju
Goeun Museum of Photography, Busan 
Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art | Cornell University


Private Collectors

Dancing Bear/ W.M. Hunt
Newhouse Collection
Elena Ochoa Foster
The Buhl Collection
The Ock Rang Cultural Foundation
Sammlung Anne Maria Jagdfeld


Bibliography

2021    
‘Soap’, mindeyes, Korea

2015    
‘White Vessels’, yido of Yi, Yoonshin Co.,Ltd, Korea

2014
‘DMZ’, Noonbit, Korea
‘Vessel + White‘, Danilo Montanari Editore, Italy
‘How to Capture the Touching Moment’, Culturegrapher, Korea

2013
‘Slow Talk’, Ivorypress, Spain

2010
‘Koo Bohnchang’, Kukje gallery, Korea

2009
‘Purity’, Galerie Raum mit Licht, Austria

2008
‘A Perspective on 1980s’, Wow Image, Korea

2007
‘Everyday Treasures’, Rutles, Japan
‘Vessel’ Rutles, Japan

2006
‘Koo Bohnchang’, The Kahitsukan, Japan
‘Deep Breath in Silence’, Hangil Art, Korea
‘Revealed Personas’, Hangil Art, Korea
‘Vessels for the Heart’, Hangil Art, Korea

2004
‘Portraits of Time’, Homi, Korea
‘Koo Bohnchang: Mask', The Museum of Photography Seoul, Korea
‘Koo Bohnchang’, Youlhwadang, Korea

2003
‘Bohnchang Koo, Hysteric Nine’, Hysteric Glamour, Japan 

1998
‘In the Beginning’, WorkShop 9, Korea

1994
‘Art Vivant’, Contemporary Korean Artists, Sigongsa, Korea 

1992
‘The Sea of Thought’, Hanglim, Korea