Solo Exhibitions (Brief)

Since his early solo exhibitions at Marc Straus Gallery (New York, US) in 2012 and 2013, as well as at Galerie Jochen Hempel (Berlin, Germany) in 2013, Jong Oh has presented a total of 27 solo exhibitions across Korea, the US, Germany, Austria, Mexico, Spain, and Singapore.

His recent solo exhibitions include 《Corner Dialogue》(2018, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, KR), 《A Pause On The Arc》(2021, DOOSAN Gallery, Seoul, KR), 《Double Sided》(2022, CR Collective, Seoul, KR), 《First Echo》(2022, ONE AND J. Gallery, Seoul, KR), 《White》(2024, Perigee Gallery, Seoul, KR), and 《Goosewing》(2025, Timothy Hawkinson Gallery, Los Angeles, US).

Group Exhibitions (Brief)

Jong Oh has participated in approximately 70 group exhibitions worldwide, including in Korea, the US, Germany, Mexico, Turkey, Japan, France, Brazil, Spain, and Portugal. His notable group exhibitions include 《Subtle Anxiety》(2010, DOOSAN Gallery, New York, US), 《Nothing and Everything》(2013, Marc Straus Gallery, New York, US), 《Dialogue》(2016, MARSO Foundation, Mexico City, MX), 《Point Counter Point》(2018, Art Sonje Center, Seoul, KR), 《Geometry, Beyond Simplicity》(2019, Museum SAN, Wonju, KR), 《Haven of Light》(2020, P21, Seoul, KR), 《20th Song Eun Art Award Exhibition》(2020, Song Eun Art and Cultural Foundation, Seoul, KR), 《Post Media And Site》(2023, Busan Museum of Art, Busan, KR), and 《Unboxing Project 3.2: Maquette》(2024, Various Small Fires, Los Angeles, US).

Awards (Selected)

Jong Oh has received several prestigious recognitions throughout his career. In 2021, he was selected as a resident artist at DOOSAN Residency New York. That same year, he won the Excellence Prize at the 20th Song Eun Art Award. In 2022, he received the Young Sculptor Award from the 33rd Kimsechoong Sculpture Award.

Originality & Identity

Jong Oh meticulously observes space and constructs sculptural forms that reveal new shapes as viewers shift their perspectives. His early ‘Room Drawing’ series emphasized making architectural boundaries visible by deconstructing and simplifying spatial structures. Over time, his work expanded to embrace space as an integral part of the artwork, reflecting the structural characteristics of specific sites.

In his solo exhibition 《Corner Dialogue》 (2018, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul), Room Drawing #1 utilized architectural elements and the physical properties of space as materials, visualizing the interaction between the artist and the environment at a specific moment in time. By measuring architectural features such as windows, staircases, and corners and transforming them into sculptural compositions, Oh demonstrated how space could function as a dynamic field of sculptural experimentation rather than merely serving as a backdrop.

More recent exhibitions, including 《White》 (2024, Perigee Gallery, Seoul) and 《Goosewing》 (2025, Timothy Hawkinson Gallery, Los Angeles), incorporate light, shadow, and more tangible materials to explore spatial weight and balance within sculpture. His Light Drawing (Forest) #1, presented in the 2024 outdoor group exhibition at the Asia Culture Center, introduced thin LED-lit linear structures within a crepe myrtle grove, reconstructing natural and architectural elements through a visual language. Through these explorations, Oh continues to emphasize sculpture not as a static object but as a device that alters the viewer’s perception of space itself.

Style & Contents

Oh's work revolves around reading spatial structures and translating them into lines and points. His sculptural interventions shift space from being a passive backdrop to an active, transformative environment. In his solo exhibition 《First Echo》 (2022, One and J. Gallery, Seoul), pieces such as Room Drawing (Light) #2 (2022), Line Sculpture #22 - #24 (2022), and Parallel Drawing (semicircle, gold) #1 (2022) used minimal materials—LED lights, thread, thin wooden sticks, pencil lines, beads, and nails—to form intersecting lines and surfaces that occupied space. These works engaged with architectural structures, subtly disrupting conventional spatial perceptions.

More recently, 《White》 (2024, Perigee Gallery, Seoul) emphasized the interplay between visible and invisible elements, as well as the relationship between materiality and light. In Light Drawing (room) #1 (2024), translucent chiffon fabric was layered throughout the space to form rectangular enclosures, with white lights of varying sizes and shapes projected inside. This approach encouraged viewers to experience empty space itself as a sensory medium, reinforcing Oh’s interest in transforming space through minimal yet precise interventions.

Topography & Continuity

Oh’s practice has evolved from early spatial drawings using minimal materials to incorporating light, shadow, resonance, and gravity—elements that highlight the immaterial aspects of sculpture. His work occupies a distinctive position in contemporary art by dissolving the boundaries between sculpture and installation, proposing new possibilities for spatial engagement.

《Goosewing》 presents a constellation-like arrangement of hand-painted strings, monofilament light lines, and extremely thin chains dispersed throughout the gallery. These barely perceptible sculptural elements undergo precise adjustments in proportion and balance, allowing them to transform dynamically within the viewer’s movement. This approach generates a delicate, ever-expanding sense of order that challenges static notions of sculpture.

As he continues to explore architectural environments, Oh is expected to integrate an even broader range of material and immaterial elements into his practice. His work reflects a critical direction in contemporary sculpture—moving beyond conventional physical forms to incorporate spatial, sensory, and conceptual dimensions. His experiments provide a vital case study in the evolution of sculpture as a discipline that redefines how objects, space, and perception interact in the modern era.