Bongsang Cho
Bongsang Cho is a South Korea-born metalsmith working in the United
States. This young artist combines traditional techniques of forming
metal with new technology to create innovative work. Beautiful,
strong and textural, his pieces display the contrast between
structural forms and natural beauty of material. Cho earned his
Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Metals and Jewelry from Hanyang
University in South Korea, and early influences from Korean art and
design still resonate in his work. He moved to the United States in
2005, where he worked with professor and metal artist Komelia Okim
and acted as her assistant for Montgomery College and during summer
workshops at Penland School of Crafts. He worked as an assistant to
Namu Cho, a well-known jeweler who specializes in creating and using
the damascene technique in jewelry.
Techniques learned from both of these artists have given Cho a wide
range of skills and aesthetics to incorporate into his own work.
Over time he developed a passion for teaching and continued
learning, which led him to enroll at the Savannah College of Art and
Design’s jewelry program, where he received a Master of Fine Arts
degree in 2012. He has participated numerous exhibitions and
competitions such as the Smithsonian Craft Show, Philadelphia Museum
of Art and Craft Show and Sculpture Objects Functional Art
Exposition. He has also received multiple NICHE Awards, the MJSA
Future of the Industry Award, and the SNAG Educational Endowment
Scholarship Award. His most recent work is inspired by the
combination of contemporary and traditional metalworking techniques.
He explains his artistic philosophy by observing that: “Technology
drives innovation. Freely experimenting with traditional materials
allows me to express a new vision. By juxtaposing traditional
smithing with advanced laser welding, I connect the past and
present, build intriguing designs, and exceed the limitations of
convention.”
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