Nara CHO
South Korea
CHO Nara
Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Fine Arts, Busan National University (2025, expected)
M.A. in Oriental Painting, Dankook University Graduate School (2007)
B.F.A. in Oriental Painting, Dankook University (2003)
Solo Exhibitions
2024 “Cheeky Aura”, Gallery Joy, Busan
2023 “Floating Layers: Traces of Time”, Gallery Grimson, Seoul
2020 “Chupar Chups”, Hongti Art Center, Busan
2019 “Return Anomalisa”, Hongti Art Center, Busan
2016 “Traces of Time”, Gallery BANUL, Seoul
2014 “Lost Landscapes”, Suwon Art Center, Suwon
Group Exhibitions
2023 “Intimate Moments of Libido”, Arting Gallery, Seoul
2020 “SHOW Window”, Supported by Daegu Foundation for Culture, Daegu
2019 “THSPLAY”, FAKE BUSAN Gallery, Busan
2018 “Young Artist Festival”, Shinsegae Gallery, Busan
Residencies
2020, 2019 Hongti Art Center, Busan
2018 Art District P, Busan
2014 8th Residency Program, Cheongju Art Studio, Cheongju
Artistic Statement
Cho Nara paints with thread.
She creates layered visual fields by repeatedly weaving thread and needle through sheer organza fabric—filling and emptying spaces simultaneously. Her practice moves freely across the boundaries of social conventions, confronting hidden desires with a raw, unapologetic gaze that offers viewers a deep sense of liberation.
Her works visualize the intangible layers of life and time through the lens of romantic relationships. Viewers can observe both the abstract front and the figurative back of her works, where forms emerge—tangled, severed, overlapped, or connected—depicting delicate memories of love. These threads embody stories of two people: their history, emotions, joy and sorrow.
By capturing invisible yet deeply present emotions, memories, and temporal relationships, she uses fiber as a medium to express a fearless and honest contemporary art practice.