Byoung Soo Cho: Artist Talk

Mahk, Bium, and Earth: Senses before Architecture

Join us for a special free artist talk with Byoung Soo Cho, one of Korea’s most influential architects, a quietly radical voice in contemporary art and design, and the artist behind Earth Works. Drawing on his past work, Cho will explore his approach to art and architecture.

In this open lecture, Cho will present work featured in his recent publications Artworks and Earthworks (Thames and Hudson, 2026), reflecting on a practice that moves across architecture and art as a continuous and interrelated field. Within this trajectory, the spontaneity and freedom of artistic work often inform architectural decisions, opening unexpected directions and approaches. Underlying this exchange are recurring ideas drawn from mahk and bium (imperfection and emptiness), where absence and reduction become active conditions for making.

This event is open to anyone interested in art and architecture, and is free to attend. Attendees will have the opportunity to experience Earth Works during their visit.

Find out more about Earth Works.

Byoung Soo Cho

Byoung Soo Cho is a South Korean architect and founder of BCHO Architects. He is known for his minimalist and nature-oriented designs that emphasize harmony between architecture, landscape, and materials. His works often use concrete, wood, and stone to create serene, timeless spaces rooted in Korean sensibility. In his recent years, Cho has returned to his roots in art, dedicating time to his studio practice. Inspired by the ‘maksabal’, a traditional Korean ceramic with a rough, unfinished appearance, Cho developed the concept of “mahk,” a spontaneous, humble approach to creation that he applies to both his paintings and his architecture. In his art, he explores organic shapes through brushstrokes on rice paper, capturing movement and energy, much as he seeks to capture moments of experience in his architectural work. His painting process is, as he describes, “guided by spontaneous action,” similar to how he approaches each architectural project with openness and a willingness to embrace imperfection.