A life shaped by making
- Dosik sculpts metal sheets into vessels and objects of beauty
- Since 2002, he has introduced natural lacquer to his process which adds vibrancy to his aesthetic
- He holds a solo exhibition every year
Dosik Seo is a Korean metal sculptor whose practice is built around sheet metal forming: raising, hammering and chasing silver and copper into forms that range from functional vessels to pure objects. Having taught for over 40 years, he retired from his professorship to find himself, by his own account, more productive than ever. His work draws on familiar Korean motifs such as persimmons, moon jars and domestic utensils. In the early 2000s, Dosik began to use lacquer to finish his works, which brought warmth and colour to the metal surface, and added narrative depth to surfaces that had previously relied on form alone. He continues to exhibit regularly and works daily in his studio within a timber industrial complex, where materials are close at hand and the conditions suit the scale and nature of what he makes.
INTERVIEW
In the 1980s, the identity of contemporary metalwork was still quite uncertain, so I focused on 3D sheet metal forms that set aside any practical function, showing these in solo exhibitions and open competitions. From 2002 onwards I began combining metal with lacquer techniques, which brought colour and texture. This opened up the narrative possibilities of my work considerably, and colour has remained a central element in my practice ever since.
During a period of being seriously ill, I made a promise to myself: if I recovered, I would give far more of myself to making work than I had before. Sheet metal forming demands a great deal from the body. I wanted to feel physically alive again through the effort it requires. I have now fully recovered and have held a solo exhibition almost every year since.
Despite how rapidly the world is changing, I believe there will always be a place for the individual craftsperson, and somewhere for genuine skill and creativity to contribute meaningfully the human existence. My advice is simply this: commit to living as an artist for the whole of your life, with as much passion as you can sustain.
Life since retiring from my professorship is more satisfying than any other period I can remember. I spend each day in the studio, planning new work, and occasionally revisiting older pieces I was never quite happy with. I hope this continues for a long time yet. Since retiring I have held six solo exhibitions, and I still feel the energy for more.
