In collaboration with Tatler China

‘We began collecting art 15 years ago. At the time, my wife started acquiring small pieces to decorate her clinic, including Yayoi Kusama’s prints and small sculptures, and prints by Kim Tschang-yeul. Shortly after, we discovered the Misu-hoe, a group of veteran art collectors based in Daegu, where we live. ‘Attending the group’s gatherings opened up a vast and profound world previously unknown to me. My wife and I, being inspired by the group’s discussion, decided to immerse ourselves in the art world and pursue art collecting as more than just a hobby – it became a serious passion and career. At first, it was quite intimidating. I relied more on the opinions of those around me, media reports, and critics’ reviews than on my own judgment and intuition, which made the process full of uncertainty and pressure. However, I began to reflect deeply and resolved to trust my own senses, believing in the intuition I cultivated through my research and experience. Our current collection is a result of mutual agreement between my wife and I, and we have never had any disagreements.

‘In 2013, when we learned about Art Basel Hong Kong, we decided to visit. We were immediately mesmerized by Zeng Fanzhi’s The Christ Child (2012) at the fair. Our hearts raced as soon as we set eyes on the painting, and we instantly knew that this was the “child” God had bestowed upon our home. Although we do not have children of our own, we cherish each piece in our collection as if it were our own child.

‘In our first decade of collecting, we treated it more as a hobby and allocated our savings among stocks, insurance, and real estate. However, in the past 3 to 4 years, we have focused exclusively on art. We read art magazines, attend collector and gallery salons, and visit museums and galleries every weekend. We often anchor our vacations around major art fairs. When traveling abroad, visits to the local museums and galleries are an essential part of our itineraries.

‘Many of the most important works in the Cho & Kim Collection, which we have built together, were acquired at Art Basel Hong Kong, including works by Damien Hirst, Yayoi Kusama, Lee Ufan, Takashi Murakami, Urs Fischer, Anish Kapoor, Nam June Paik, and Pierre Huyghe. We started collecting one work at a time, deepening our appreciation and understanding with each new addition, which ultimately catalyzed our passion for collecting.

‘One artist we admire is Dansaekhwa painter Nam Tchun-Mo. Unlike most other artists of the movement, who tend to adopt repetitive patterns and techniques, he emphasizes intuitive and spontaneous gestures. His lines are dynamic and expressive, freeing him from the confines of monotonous repetition.

‘Another artist we greatly admire is Tomokazu Matsuyama, a Japanese artist whose technicolor, dreamlike compositions perfectly align with my wife’s love for Pop Art. We’ve been following his career since his early days in New York, and his art never fails to lift our spirits. I’m equally captivated by the works of Etsu Egami, a young Japanese artist born in the 1990s. Her use of vibrant colors and dynamic brushstrokes creates figures that express a poignant sense of solitude, akin to a rainbow unfurling, which I find utterly fascinating.

‘Last year, my wife acquired a painting by Chinese artist Xiyao Wang. I believe this work beautifully bridges our differing tastes. It features delicate brushwork and a subtle play of colors, typical of the artist’s style. We also discovered American artist Zio Ziegler at the Almine Rech booth in Art Basel Miami Beach last December. His works, with influences from Francis Bacon, Jackson Pollock, and Picasso, intrigued us with their dynamic and multifaceted style.

‘We have always hoped to share the joy of our collection with those around us. Last year, we finally realized a bold dream of ours: to create a small and elegant space that serves as both our home and an art museum, which we named the Cho & Kim Collection. The process was marked by numerous challenges and surprises, particularly during the construction, moving, and installation phases. Selecting which works to display proved especially challenging, as each one is a cherished treasure. However, when we finally moved in, our overwhelming joy made it all worthwhile. We are now surrounded daily by delightful artworks that make us so happy that we feel like children again.

‘Whether in 5 or 10 years, we still see ourselves deeply engaged in the art world. Our hope is to develop the Cho & Kim Collection into a vibrant community museum that makes a meaningful contribution to society. Collecting is not something that happens overnight; it demands enduring passion and relentless effort. The interactions among artists, galleries, and collectors significantly shape this process. Through our shared journey in art collecting, our bond as a couple has grown deeper, strengthening our love, understanding, and care for one another. As like-minded partners with a shared dream, we have grown to better understand and appreciate each other on a deeper level.’