Jae Ko, paper installation from the United States. Photo © Courtesy of the artist
1.Tell us what you do and your beginnings.
I am sculptor working with paper rolls. During my graduate program I began the shift from working with fancy paper to more industrial and mass-produced commercial paper products. This was due, in part, to the fact that these products were easily accessible and very affordable.
I began my initial explorations using rolls of adding machine or cash register tape. I began by exposing these materials to the natural elements to see how the paper would transform and what type of metamorphoses would take place.
2.What does your work aim to say?
My work is not about making a specific conceptual statement: rather, it’s about the transformative power of art. To me caring for the environment is essential. But I think of myself less as an environmental activist and more as someone who is inspired by the natural environment and can reinterpret landscapes, allowing visitors to experience a particular environment in a different way.
