Pauline Choi is a Korean born Canadian artist working in Paris. Having emigrated first to Canada as a child, she lives twice removed from her origins and her sense of cultural identity combines opposing forces and traditions.
Her recent paintings of fire and water have a strong sculptural presence, yet built up in layers of translucent media, they are also magical and elusive. Like all Pauline Choi's work, they demonstrate a strange alchemy that transforms the base matter of the material world into evocations of memory and desire.
- Jill Lloyd, art historian and critic, London
Education
1979-1980 Whitney Museum, Independent program, New York, US
1978-1979 Graduate Study in New York, Off Campus program, OCAD, US
1974-1978 Ontario College of Art and Design, Bachelor of Arts (Honour), Toronto, Canada
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2019 Colour Poems - Angell Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2016 Into the Light – UM gallery, Seoul, Korea
2013 Pools of Light - B’One gallery, Seoul, Korea
2009 Lightboxes - 59Rivoli, Paris, France
2009 Paris - Egg Gallery, Beijing, China
2007 Jardin Imaginaire - 7 Parnasien, Paris, France
2007 Jardin Imaginaire - DyanMarieProjects, Toronto, Canada
2005 Treescapes - The American Library in Paris, France
2001 Pools of Light - Centre Culturel Canadien, Paris, France
1999 La Vie en Rose - Lonsdale Gallery, Toronto, Canada
1998 Paintings & Light Boxes - Parsons School of Art, Paris, France
1997 The Ocean Within - Park Ryu Sook Gallery, Seoul, Korea
1993 Mixed Media Painting - Gallery Han Kuk, Seoul, Korea
1987 Pleasures - Canadian Cultural Center, Rome, Italy
1987 Pleasures - Canadian Cultural Center, Paris, France
1986 Isla Mujeres -Gallery San Nom, Muncton, Canada
1985 Recent Paintings - The Gallery Stratford, Stratford, Canada
1984 Willful Gesture - Artcultural Center, Toronto, Canada
1984 Paintings & Drawings - Gallery Power House, Montreal, Canada
1984 Wall Paintings and Other - Gailoch Gallery, Oakville, Canada
1981 Meta-Paint as Bond - Mercer Union, Toronto, Canada
1981 Les Chaises Situation - Scarborough College, Toronto, Canada
1979 Wall Paintings - YYZ Outlet, Toronto, Canada
Group Exhibitions
2015 Art Space Qualia, Seoul - Korea
2014 K.I.A.F. - Seoul, Korea
2013 Drawing, SeMA - Seoul, Korea
2011 This is Paradise - Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, Toronto, Canada
2005 Glo - Archive Inc., Toronto, Canada
2004 La Nuit Blanche - 37bis rue de Montreuil, Paris, France
1998 Stuff - Lonsdale Gallery, Toronto, Canada
1996 Académie Diplomatique Internationale - Paris, France
1994 Woman - The Difference and The Power - Han Kuk Museum, Seoul, Korea
1993 UFPS Salon Contemporain - Grand Palais, Paris, France
1993 Latitudes Nord - Château Sainte Barbe - Fontenay-aux- Roses, France
1992 Art Contemporain du Canada - Ader Tajan Auction-House - Paris, France
1987 Petit Format - Espace Bateau Lavoir - Paris, France
1987 Cité Internationale des Arts - Paris, France
1987 Paintings - Bridgestone Gallery, Toronto, Canada
1986 Riot, Calm and Luxury - Harbourfront Gallery, Toronto, Canada
1986 Bather - Cameron Public House, Toronto, Canada
1985 Interiors / Tableaux - Burlington & Art Gallery of Winsor, Canada
1983 10 Years - Evelyn Amis Gallery, Toronto, Canada
1983 Critic's Choice - Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada
1983 Chromazone Living - Chromazone Gallery, Toronto, Canada
1982 YYZ monumenta - Chromazone Gallery, Toronto, Canada
1979 Imaginary - Factory 77 Gallery, Toronto, Canada
1979 Drawings & Sculptures - Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada
Teaching and other experiences
2013 Nanji Artist Residency program with the Seoul Museum, Seoul, Korea
1989-96 Teaching, Parsons School of Design, Paris, France
1984-87 Teaching, Ontario College of Art and Design, Toronto, Canada
1979-80 Assistant to Dennis Oppenheim and Mia Westerlund, New York City, US
Awards
2012 Artistic Residence, Nanji – SeMA, Seoul, Korea
1986 Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France
1980-84 Canada Council Grants
1979-83 Ontario Arts Council Grants
1978 Ontario College of Art Graduate Medal
1977 George A Reid Scholarship
1976 Nora E Vaughan Scholarship
Collections
. Air Canada, Charles De Gaulle Airport, Paris, France
. American Library in Paris, France
. Cameron Public House, Toronto, Canada
. Daelim Art Museum, Korea
. Hôtel Jeanne d’Arc, Paris, France
. North York General Hospital, Toronto, Canada
. Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA), Korea
. Spring Restaurant, Paris, France
. Beaver Hall Group (Tony Comper), Toronto, Canada
Selected Bibliographies
Hsieh, Catherine Y. - Lightboxes, New York Art Magazine, fall issue, NYC 2009
Cremin, Ann - Artist of the floating world, The Eye, n°15, Paris 1998
MaKay, Gillian - Making a list, Globe & Mail, Toronto 1998
Lloyd, Jill - The Ocean Within, Park Ryu Sook Gallery, Seoul 1997
Guest, Robert - Soda Bottles, a Turtle Ship and Minjung, Art News, Feb. issue, NYC 1994
Davis, Christine - Extruding Light, Gallery Han Kuk, Seoul 1993
Kim, Hong Hee - Painter’s Painter, Gallery Han Kuk, Seoul 1993
Girling, Oliver - Riot, Calm & Luxury, Harbourfront Gallery, Toronto 1986
Elder, Alan - Interiors / Tableaux, Burlington Cultural Centre, Burlington 1986
Wood, William - Recent Paintings, The Gallery Stratford, Stratford 1985
Fabo, Andy - Nationalism / Internationalism / Regionalism, C Magazine, Toronto 1984
Hume, Christopher - Artist sees, Toronto Star, Toronto 1984
Oille, Jennifer - New Year, Vangard Art 1983 Hume, Christopher - Group Show, Toronto Star, Toronto 1983
University of Toronto - Les Chaise situation, Scarborough Art gallery, Toronto 1981
Tiley, Jim - Imaginary, Artist Review - vol.3 n°2, Toronto 1982
Clarkson, David - Wall Paintings, Artist Review - vol.2 n°6, Toronto 1979