Do Ho Suh reimagines father’s ink paintings on LG’s transparent OLED screens

At Frieze Seoul this fall, a two-generation artist family will showcase artworks blending traditional Korean ink painting with installation art and architecture on LG’s cutting-edge OLED displays.

Internationally acclaimed installation artist Do Ho Suh, known for his fabric reconstructions of past residences, will reinterpret works by his late father, Suh Se-ok (1929-2020), a master of traditional Korean ink painting. The exhibition space will be designed by Do Ho’s brother, architect Suh Eul-ho, making it a true family collaboration.

“We thought it would be very interesting and meaningful for the two sons to reinterpret the art world of their late father, a pioneer of the country’s abstract ink painting for over 60 years,” said Oh Hye-won, LG Electronics’ vice president of brand communication at LG Home Entertainment Co., during a press briefing in Seoul on Tuesday.

The elder Suh is renowned for his “People” series, which depicts crowds using minimalist stick figures to capture dynamic movement. His work is celebrated for its distinctive blend of traditional Korean materials, vibrant ink wash techniques, masterful use of negative space and simple yet powerful brushstrokes.

Last year, the South Korean tech giant featured a digital reinterpretation of artwork by the late Kim Whan-ki, another master of Korean abstract painting, on the LG Signature OLED M, the world’s first wireless OLED TV, unveiled at CES earlier that year. LG said the self-lit OLED technology preserves Kim’s artistic intentions while uncovering details and nuances that add an additional dimension to his acclaimed work.

“One of the key principles of the company’s art campaign is to showcase the latest OLED product of the year,” Oh explained.

At Frieze Seoul’s third edition next month, LG will present the Suh family’s collaborative works on the sleek, transparent Signature OLED T, unveiled at CES 2024 but not yet commercialized.

Do Ho Suh will creatively and digitally reimagine his father’s paintings, driven by a desire to share his father’s artistic world and philosophy with a broader audience.

“My father often talked about the infinite universe and space while working on his ink paintings. The moment the LG OLED screen became transparent, it felt as if a three-dimensional sense of space emerged on a two-dimensional surface, as if we were suddenly able to see the space behind the painting that had been hidden for thousands of years,” LG quoted him as saying.

LG Electronics has been running the LG OLED ART project since 2021, collaborating with globally acclaimed artists, such as Anish Kapoor, Damien Hirst and Kevin McCoy. It’s also been the headline partner of Frieze Seoul since last year.

Frieze Seoul premiered in September 2022 in partnership with the Galleries Association of Korea, running alongside Kiaf, South Korea’s leading art fair.

This year’s Frieze Seoul is slated for Sept. 4-7.