NEW YORK, NY—Opera Gallery New York recently opened Changing Seasons, featuring new works by Jae Ko. On now through April 20, the exhibition explores the complexities between the natural and material world in relation to the passage of time and the impact of climate change.
Ko uses recycled paper to create intricately constructed sculptures centered around recurring themes of nature, the passage of time, and our complicated relationship to the natural world. The scale and intricacy of Ko’s sculptures reflect the strength and fragility of the natural world as well as our engagement and responsibility within it.
Changing Seasons is Ko’s inaugural solo show at Opera Gallery New York and was intentionally timed to coincide with the coming of Spring. Ko explains that “the first floor works are more wintery, monochrome, in blacks and whites. But as you ascend the floors, the new growth appears slowly on the second floor, and finally the color takes over on the third.”
Ko’s labor-intensive practice, using large quantities of recycled paper, is rooted in sustainability and references the complex relationship between architectural objects and natural landscapes.
Recycled paper has been central to Ko’s practice for decades, and she explains that Japanese Shinto animism and the worship of trees have been influential to her “frugal use of materials.” Ko says she “often recycles the recycled paper by reusing previously installed paper rolls for other installations, which are then taken to a recycler after their useful life.”
As a student and young artist, Ko spent her formative years in Seoul and Tokyo, which she credits for helping her develop a “meticulous design ethic.” She also muses that time spent in these dense urban centers may have inspired her interest in creating “one artwork from many many small parts.”
For the last twenty years, Ko has been based on Maryland’s eastern shore. Living and working in a less densely populated setting has fortified Ko’s connection to nature, as she regularly finds inspiration in the local plant and animal life discovered on daily walks. Ko has also developed a strong sense of responsibility to protect her natural habitat—something that carries through to her practice as well. “For me,” Ko notes, “living on a small island acts as a metaphor for the small island we all live on.”
- Jae Ko, Changing Seasons, is open now through April 20, 2024. Visit Opera Gallery for more information.