by will or by trust: Work by Sungho Bae, Sophia Karina English

Chicago Artists Coalition proudly presents by will or by trust, a duo exhibition by 2023-24 HATCH Residents Sungho Bae and Sophia Karina English.

The show features framed works by Sungho Bae and sculptural and beaded works by Sophia Karina English.

Sungho Bae is a mixed media artist born in Seoul, South Korea. He received his BFA from Seoul National University and his MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Stemming from a fascination with the evolution of consumer culture and its impact on collective memory, Bae’s work explores the remnants of counterfeit toys as a reflection of South Korea’s socio-economic landscape during the 1980s and 1990s. By assembling architectural models from these fragments, Bae examines the complexities of intellectual property rights and the cultural implications of mass production. Through this lens, Bae examines how these toys serve as artifacts of subcultural heritage, shedding light on issues of content scarcity, market demand, and national competitiveness, while also questioning the value systems intertwined with nostalgia and sentimentality.

Sophia Karina English is a latinx crafts person, sculptor, and performance artist from San Francisco, CA and based in Chicago, IL. They received their BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, with an emphasis in sculpture and fiber arts.

English’s research centers around their own families’ dynamics and the objects and habits which are passed down through generations. Their work memorializes lost narratives and speculates on greater cultural impacts of one’s familial inheritance. English is specifically interested in exploring the material languages from their families’ origins in Nicaragua, Mexico, and the Californian coast.

Both artists utilize many individual parts to make a whole; forms are built through the collection of relevant bits and remnants. The works in “by will or by trust” ask the viewer to contemplate the authenticity of cultural capital and the relevance of individual memory in the shadow of broader histories.

— Micah Dillman