EN :

The work of Youn Cho emerges from a story shaped by travels, encounters, and light.

Born in South Korea in 1971, Youn Cho leaves her native country at nineteen to pursue her artistic path in France. After distinguished studies in Strasbourg, she settles in Nice in 1998, where her universe truly takes shape. From the moment she arrives, the Mediterranean light, the sea, and the bathers on the beaches become a revelation. This simple, vibrant environment inspires the creation of the Girls, an emblematic series defined by bright colors and a playful atmosphere.

Her Girls are not just feminine silhouettes; they embody a way of being in the world—free, open, and serene. In their gentle gestures and luminous colors, one feels a philosophy of simplicity, a softness that soothes without ever appearing fragile. They awaken memories and quiet emotions, bringing back an old happiness: summers, games, and light moments that stay alive in one’s mind.

Youn Cho’s work carries the spirit of the École de Nice while also reflecting Korean influences and the visual language of Manhwa. The rounded forms, simple expressions, and soft lines recall Korean drawing, while the southern light gives her sculptures a radiant presence. She creates a space where cultures meet, where light becomes a shared language—a way of breathing and moving through time.

The bases of her sculptures, shaped like shadows, add an essential dimension. The shadow is not a lack but a quiet presence that supports and reveals the light. Her sculptures play with this dialogue: the illuminated figure and its materialized shadow evoke the meeting of past and present, the search for harmony, the desire to move toward clarity. Light exists only because a shadow carries it.

The Girls invite us to slow down, to look differently, to let the light work within. They remind us that joy can be a strength, a way to rebuild, to protect oneself, to keep moving forward. Each figure carries its own story yet chooses the light. The shadow becomes a trace, a memory, a point of balance.

In this way, Youn Cho’s work speaks of life between two cultures, of a world where memory becomes a path, where play becomes freedom, where light becomes a philosophy. Her sculptures touch something universal: the desire to live with gentleness, sincerity, and clarity. Her art becomes a refuge, a space of joy, a way to rebuild what may have been lost.

Has participated in about 50 group exhibitions in France and abroad. Her works are in several public and private collections (like Norman Foster’s) in France, Monaco, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Jordan, Morocco, South Korea and the USA…