▲ Cook Night Hide and Seek, 2024, 162 x 162cm, Acrylic on canvas ⓒ Cook, SH Gallery

SH GALLERY will host the touring exhibition 'THE CHASE' by globally active Japanese street artist Cook in Seoul on July 11.

The 'THE CHASE' tour started in London in the summer of 2023, moved to Los Angeles in April this year, and will be held in Seoul in July, with plans to exhibit in major Asian cities such as Singapore.

This exhibition marks the first introduction of Cook's works in Korea, offering new insights into contemporary art and street art. 

▲ Cook CHASE C, 2024, 60 x 5 x 70 cm, Acrylic on wood panel ⓒ Cook, SH Gallery

Chase represents the pursuit between graffiti artists and police, as well as the pursuit of one's place in the field.

Cook explains that he embodies both the chaser and the chased in his work.

In an interview, Cook stated, "It depicts the chase between me, Cook, who travels the world painting, and the police depicted as dogs and pigs. Think of it as a street art version of Tom and Jerry. This work captures a snapshot of such scenes." 

▲ Cook Railroad crossng sign, 2024, 60 x 60cm, Acrylic, silkscreen on wood panel ⓒ Cook, SH Gallery

COOK, a graffiti artist based in Osaka, Japan, debuted as a graffiti artist in Osaka in the late 1990s, then moved to Los Angeles to interact with famous local graffiti artists, actively creating works before returning to Osaka to create in various genres such as sports, fashion, music, and animation.

He has drawn significant attention through projects like the installation art for Louis Vuitton's first men's store in Shibuya and collaborative projects with Adidas, and he has also worked as a designer for the record label 'Delicious Vinyl.'

Cook has participated in international mural art festivals 'POW! WOW! JAPAN 2015' and 'POW! WOW! Long Beach 2016,' expressing his unique artistic sensibility in various ways. 

▲ The poster of the exhibition ⓒ SH GalleryThis exhibition will showcase Cook's original graffiti worldview combined with modern sensibilities, providing an opportunity to introduce his works more closely to the Korean audience.

The exhibition will run from July 11 to 30, 2024, with an opening reception on July 11 from 5 PM to 7 PM, attended by the artist.

The exhibition will be held at SH GALLERY SEOUL, located at 17 Apgujeong-ro 46-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

Sayart / Nao Yim, yimnao@naver.com