‘Suh Se Ok x LG OLED: Reimagined by Suh Do Ho, Shaped by Suh Eul Ho’ at Frieze, London, in October 2025. Courtesy LG
The phenomenon of applying cutting-edge digital techniques to fine art is nothing new, but Suh Do Ho – known in the West as Do Ho Suh – put an imaginative spin on the idea for his exhibition at Frieze London last week. The show, which was powered by LG OLED, was a reimagining of Korean ink abstraction, in which LG’s transparent OLED screens became a digital canvas for a multi-sensory experience that challenged conventional notions of what a canvas can be.
The exhibition’s full title – ‘Suh Se Ok x LG OLED: Reimagined by Suh Do Ho, Shaped by Suh Eul Ho’ – captures the essence of the show. Suh Do Ho, who is known for exploring memory, place and displacement through immersive architectural installations, created a work that paid homage to his father, Suh Se Ok, who was renowned for his mastery of modern Korean ink painting.
Over a career of 70 years Suh Se Ok created more than 3,290 works, drawing from calligraphy and poetry to create remarkable ink paintings which, though abstract, often seem to resemble recognisable objects: netting, people holding hands, a mother and child. His son Suh Do Ho has now transformed his father’s work into a dynamic, immersive digital experience.
The exhibition space itself – meticulously crafted by Suh Do Ho’s brother, architect Suh Eul Ho – was an integral part of the show. It was designed not just to display the art but also to amplify its themes, creating an environment where tradition and innovation each seemed equally at home, and the boundary between the physical and the digital became irrelevant.
At the heart of the exhibition was the LG OLED SIGNATURE T. Unlike conventional screens, it is transparent, revealing the space and objects behind. This was not a mere technical flourish but a crucial artistic tool for Suh Do Ho. Inspired by his father’s People series, which Suh Se Ok began in the late 1970s, and by the inherent mystery of ink paintings on Hanji paper – where the spread and stop are uncontrolled, prompting curiosity about the unseen reverse – Suh Do Ho used the transparent OLED to get us to see the back of the painting. Thick digitally animated brushstrokes spread washes of black ink up and down the screens; intermittently a lively crowd of symbols appeared and seemed to ‘walk’ briskly across the digital canvas – a reinterpretation of Suh Se Ok’s paintings, in which the sparest of brushstrokes resemble figures.
Eight extra-large transparent LG OLED TVs brought these digitally reimagined works to life in a way that felt ethereal and, at the same time, in harmony with the surrounding environment. The artwork didn’t just sit on a screen: it interacted with the space. The self-lighting pixels were fundamental to this: they ensured that while the display remained transparent, the digitally rendered ink paintings retained their vivid colours and contrast. This technical precision was vital for capturing the delicate brushstrokes and nuances of Suh Se Ok’s ink abstractions while giving them movement and new life. The result was an artwork that was characterised by both a sense of heritage and the boundless possibilities of digital technology, marshalling multi-sensory elements to create an immersive experience.
‘My father often spoke of the infinite universe and space in his work, while he was painting,’ Suh Do Ho said in advance of the show. ‘When I witnessed the moment the LG OLED TV screen became transparent, it felt as if a two-dimensional picture was transformed into three-dimensional space, revealing the space behind the painting that has been invisible until now.’
Kate Oh, head of experiential marketing at the LG Media Entertainment Solution Company, echoed this sentiment, highlighting LG’s commitment to artistic innovation. ‘LG has collaborated with globally acclaimed artists to explore LG OLED’s creative potential as the ultimate digital canvas with its precise colors and perfect black,’ she said. ‘Marking five years of LG OLED ART, we can reflect on how far the initiative has come and what it represents. We have always believed that LG OLED empowers artists by presenting their visions in a way that enriches the digital art experience.
‘In this regard, we are deeply honored to exhibit the work of Suh Se Ok, a pioneer of modern Korean ink abstraction. Digitally reimagined by his son, renowned contemporary artist Suh Do Ho, LG’s innovative transparent OLED TV captures the artistic intentions behind Se Ok’s abstract ink paintings and presents his legacy to audiences through a meaningful digital exhibition.’
This collaboration was more than a display of art or technology: it was a testament to the evolving nature of creativity itself. It demonstrates how, in the hands of certain artists and with the aid of certain technology, heritage can be not just preserved but also reinterpreted in dynamic and surprising ways, drawing new horizons for artistic expression.
‘Suh Se Ok x LG OLED: Reimagined by Suh Do Ho, Shaped by Suh Eul Ho’ was at Frieze London, Regent’s Park, in October 2025. Read more about it here.
