Esther Jihye Cho explores the hidden parts of human life—memories, emotions, and secrets—by transforming them into sculptural forms. Drawing from her background in papermaking and basket weaving, she approaches paper as a living material capable of holding and transforming memory, rather than simply as a flat surface. Her work connects personal narratives with broader histories by bringing traditional Korean craft practices into conversation with contemporary art.
 

Cho’s process is slow and detailed. She works with handmade paper and traditional techniques such as jiseung (paper weaving) and joomchi (paper felting) to create intimate, contemplative objects that invite viewers to pause and reflect. By adapting these practices in new ways, she creates forms that reveal stories often hidden beneath the surface. Through her work, Cho seeks to preserve fading traditions while using them as a means of reconnecting with the past and imagining new possibilities for the future.
 

In her ongoing project, Tangible Secrets, Cho invites participants to anonymously share personal secrets, which she then incorporates into woven sculptural forms. By giving physical form to concealed thoughts and experiences, the project creates opportunities for connection, empathy, and collective reflection.
 

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ARTIST BIO

Cho holds two MFA degrees from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, in Woodworking and Furniture Design and in Design Studies with a focus on papermaking and textiles, as well as two BFAs from Virginia Commonwealth University, in Craft and Material Studies and Interior Design. She has participated in exhibitions at Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum, Mesa, AZ; Textile Arts Center of Madison, Madison, WI; and Art and Literature Laboratory, Madison, WI, among others.
 

Cho was a recipient of the Windgate-Lamar Fellowship from the Center for Craft, which supported her study of traditional Korean papermaking and paper crafts in South Korea. She has attended residencies at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts and Contemporary Craft, is currently an artist-in-residence at the Museum of Arts and Design, and has an upcoming residency at Penland School of Craft.

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Alongside her studio practice, Cho maintains an active teaching practice spanning art and design courses and workshops in traditional Korean paper crafts, including jiseung and joomchi.