Born in Incheon, South Korea in 1979, Oh Sukkuhn graduated from Nottingham Trent University School of Art & Design with Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in photography. The series of works are derived from the boy named “Chulsoo” and the girl named “Younghee” who first made their appearance in the Korean textbook during the era of Park Chung Hee administration and kept their presence through the mid-1990'.

The above mentioned two Korean characters can be described as “Taro” and “Hanako” in Japan. Majority of Korean people have been familiar with “Chulsoo” and “Younghee” not only as the iconized figures of common images but as the easily recognized characters in the textbook which somewhat plays the role of the bible for children. “ The Text Book (Chulsoo and Younghee)” is the new approach by Oh Sukkuhn, who in fact reused the form of the textbook and the iconized figures in his works. Each work settles on the subject matter taken from the specific scene that is still present to the mind in the memories of his acquaintances. Although each scene is based on the individual recollection of others, it summons up our memories of the past. In addition, it can run on the memories that cover the entire nation in some instances. Furthermore, his works seem to ironically reveal the obscuration and falsehood of one-time textbooks as shades of bible.

It is likely that such icons in the textbook seem to have played hosts of functions in Korea who have faced various issues such as colonial rule, Korean War, North-South issue and despotic regime. By making “Chulsoo” and “Younghee” visible once again in his works, Oh Sukkuhn might be questioning us what the individual memory actually is or whether the memory not only stays in each of us but also prevail beyond in the nation perhaps. Works of insightful question and skepsis from the viewpoint of present-day Korean artist give us the moment to think over the derivation of our memories.

Well received at the exhibition “OTONARISAN -The Stranger Next Door” organized by AQA project Kyushu University students held from late 2010 through the beginning of 2011 in Fukuoka, this is the first solo exhibition of Oh Sukkuhn in Tokyo.