Kyoung Ae Cho, a Korean fiber artist and faculty member at the Kansas City Art Institute, gave a slide-illustrated lecture on her work at the exhibit's opening.
The exhibition runs through Sunday, May 1.
In her talk, Cho discussed her working methods, her research and her newest work. Her work begins with the gathering of materials, which she describes as a ceremonial moment in which an aesthetic conversation is initiated -- her seeking to understand nature's mysterious language.
"Nature equals chaos, and that is the main interest of my work," she says. "As nature is constantly changing and adapting itself to its dynamic environment, it uses its millions of years of instinctive thought to give rebirth to itself."
Cho was born in Onyang, South Korea, in 1963. She received a bachelor of fine arts (textiles) degree in 1986 from the Duksung Women's University in Seoul, South Korea. She came to the U.S. in 1991 and completed a master's of fine arts (fiber) degree from Michigan's Cranbrook Academy of Art.
Cho, who has exhibited extensively throughout the U.S. and internationally, has received numerous grants and awards for her work, including grants from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation and the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts.
Sheehan Gallery is open Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. The gallery is closed Mondays.
School and group tours are available Monday through Friday by appointment. For more information, call the gallery at (509) 527-5249.
Ben Mitchell, Sheehan Gallery Director, (509) 527-5249
E-Mail Address: mitcheb@whitman.edu
Dave Holden, Whitman Office of Communications, (509) 527-5902
E-Mail Address: holden@whitman.edu