For Cho Gi-Seok, a South Korean fashion photographer known for his work with K-pop stars — including XG and Blackpink’s Jennie — the idea of imperfection is an ongoing theme behind his surrealist image-making.
“I think people have paradoxes in their bodily emotions, and I’m a person that has a lot of imperfections; I also see many imperfections in the world, like the imbalance between love and hate,” Cho said in an exclusive interview ahead of his first solo exhibition in Asia. The exhibition, titled “The Coexistence of Imperfection,” is on view at Fotografiska Shanghai until March 8.
“Imperfection is not a flaw, but a more authentic and profound state of being,” added Cho.
Cho began his career as a graphic designer before moving into photography in 2016. Self-taught and working out of a small rented studio in Seoul, Cho quickly rose to international acclaim with work that evokes surreal worlds in poetic and dreamlike states. Cho, alongside China’s Leslie Zhang and Malaysia’s Zhong Lin, has become one of Asia’s most recognizable fashion image-makers for creating aesthetics around vibrant colors, the surreal and the natural.
Apart from visualizing his inner turmoil and desires with the series “Love & Hate,” Cho’s exhibition brings together three other of his most recognizable series — “Flower Study” explores the delicate yet enduring connection between the body and flora; “Bad Dream” channels creative energy from subconscious disorder, and “These Days” contemplates the evolving relationship between humanity, nature and technology in the digital age.
A storyboard of his childlike sketches covers an entire wall at the entrance, unveiling the process of his work. However, nowadays Cho has relegated the storyboarding work to AI. “AI is a very good tool for seeing what I think — my imagination is usually too weird, so AI can help me make better choices, make better mood boards,” Cho said.
Inside “The Coexistence of Imperfection.”
Courtesy
“I want to do more experimental work, like Nick Knight — maybe a one-minute film — and I want to focus more on stories based on my personal experiences and the stories of people around me,” said Cho, who often sends pre-shoot questionnaires to models with questions about their childhood or bad dreams.
Working across creative mediums, Cho launched a genderless fashion label called Kusikohc, which went on to become an LVMH Prize semifinalist in 2023. Last year, after he parted ways with his business partner, Cho quickly developed an interest in fragrances, a more freeing and sensorial art form.
The brand, dubbed CGS, was launched with a high school classmate last April and comes in three scents that reference his three photography series, including “Flower Study,” “Love and Hate” and “Bad Dream.”
“After Kusikohc, I was looking for another way to express a sense of freedom, and I found perfume. It gave my images a renewed sense of freedom — with perfumes, you don’t need to show much product, and unlike fashion, the margins are good,” Cho said frankly.
