I explore the hidden parts of human life—like memories, emotions, and secrets—by turning them into sculptures. Using my background in papermaking and basket weaving, I use paper as a living material that can hold and change memories, rather than just a flat surface for drawing. My work connects personal stories with broader history by blending traditional Korean crafts with contemporary art.
My process is slow and detailed. I use handmade paper and traditional techniques like jiseung (paper weaving) and joomchi (paper felting) to create art that feels personal and invites people to stop and reflect. By using these old methods in new ways, I create objects that reveal stories often hidden beneath the surface. My goal is to keep fading traditions alive and use them to help us reconnect with the past while imagining new possibilities for the future. In my ongoing project, Tangible Secrets, I invite participants to anonymously share personal secrets, which I then weave into sculptural forms. By giving physical form to hidden thoughts and experiences, the project creates opportunities for connection, empathy, and collective reflection.--Esther Jihye Cho
About the Artist
Esther Jihye Cho is a Korean-American artist whose work explores memory, identity, and the relationship between material and tradition through paper, wood, basketry, and installation. Her practice draws from traditional Korean craft processes, particularly hanji papermaking and jiseung, while considering how these techniques can carry personal and collective stories. Cho earned two MFA degrees from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in Woodworking and Furniture Design and Design Studies, with a focus on papermaking and textiles. She holds two BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University in Craft and Material Studies and Interior Design. Her work has been exhibited at the Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum, the Textile Arts Center of Madison, and the Art and Literature Laboratory, among others. Cho was a 2017 recipient of the Windgate-Lamar Fellowship from the Center for Craft, through which she studied traditional Korean papermaking and paper crafts in South Korea. She has participated in residencies at the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Contemporary Craft, and the Penland School of Craft.
