Chang Ki Chung, the Alchemist of Light and the Ephemeral
Korean photographer based in Paris, Chang Ki Chung delicately explores the fragile balance between matter and time. His gaze transcends the ordinary: fruits, flowers, and everyday objects become timeless works where light sculpts forms and reveals unexpected emotions.
Trained in photography in Korea and Japan, he first made his mark in advertising and portraiture before becoming, in 1990, the official photographer of the President of South Korea. However, in 1993, seeking a more intimate relationship with his art, he left Seoul to settle in the countryside. From then on, nature became both his studio and his muse. Like Edward Weston or Ansel Adams, he dedicated himself to still life and fine art photography.
His work engages in a dialogue with the invisible. In black and white or color, his series revolve around introspective themes: the memory of objects, the fleeting nature of light, and the unexpected within the ordinary. In Promises (2010), he transforms the apple into a symbol of the human journey. With Poppy, he humanizes the flower, capturing its vibrant essence. His work oscillates between poetry and precision, between technical mastery and surrender to the beauty of serendipity.
Living in France since 2011 after a residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts, Chang Ki Chung regularly exhibits in museums and galleries in Korea and across Europe. The BnF (Bibliothèque nationale de France) has included his works in its prestigious Prints and Photography Department, solidifying his unique imprint on the contemporary art scene.
His upcoming exhibitions is an attestation of this recognition: a solo show in Seoul (Conversations Verticales), participation in the Korean Cultural Center in Paris (Les Contours du Temps), and an exclusive series commissioned by the Pradier-Jeauneau Gallery (Passeggiata).
A poet of imagery, an alchemist of the visible, Chang Ki Chung invites us to see beyond sight.
Website : www.chungchang-ki.com / Instagram : @changki_chung
NEWS __
📍 Solo Exhibition – Conversations Verticales | March 17 – April 8 | Art Space X, Seoul
📍 Group Exhibition – Les Contours du Temps | March 21 – April 5 | Korean Cultural Center, Paris
📍 Solo Exhibition – Passeggiata | November – December | Galerie Pradier-Jeauneau, Paris (32 Rue de Verneuil, 7th arrondissement)
Your first photographic awakening?
ChangKi: Photography classes in high school, taught by my English teacher as part of the curriculum when I was 14. The first photographic work I ever saw was his—it depicted the back of a woman on the beach, with grains of sand clinging to her skin. It left a deep impression on me.
The photographer who has Iinspired you the most?
ChangKi: Edward Weston, for his still lifes (bell peppers, seashells).
The image you wish you had taken?
ChangKi: A photograph by Nobuyoshi Araki featuring a deep red tulip, its head tilted downward like a calligraphy brush.
The one that moved you the most?
ChangKi: A still life by Josef Sudek from his series The World at My Window, showing a vase with roses and a seashell. The background is his studio window covered in condensation… The execution is simply incredible.
And the one that made you angry?
ChangKi: In general, photographers who merely copy others without bringing any personal creativity.
Which photograph, in your opinion, changed the world?
ChangKi: The Napalm Girl by Nick Ut, which exposes the brutality of war against the innocence of a child.
And which photograph changed your world?
ChangKi: A photograph by Jan Groover featuring vases in subtle white tones, reminiscent of Morandi’s aesthetic.
What interest you most in a picture?
ChangKi: The way it illustrates a metaphor.
What is the last photo you took?
ChangKi: A photograph of the sky and sea in Trouville.
A key image in your personal pantheon?
ChangKi: Le Lever de Rideau (Curtain Rise), from my latest black-and-white series Vegetal Skyline, which evokes a Rothko painting through its minimalism inspired by nature.
A photographic memory from your childhood?
ChangKi: A photo of me with my family by a river when I was two years old. Unfortunately, it has been lost.
In your opinion, what is the essential quality of a good photographer?
ChangKi: Never forbid yourself any subject, have no preconceived notions.
What makes a good photograph?
ChangKi: A photo you can’t take your eyes off.
The person you would love to photograph?
ChangKi: My muse.
An essential photography book?
ChangKi: Small Things in Silence by Yamamoto Masao.
The camera of your youth or early career?
ChangKi: A Canon FTB.
The one you use today?
ChangKi: A Hasselblad 500cm and a Leica R.
Your favorite addiction?
ChangKi: Traveling.
The best way for you to disconnect?
ChangKi: Hiking.
What is your personal relationship with images?
ChangKi: I never take self-portraits; my face doesn’t interest me.
When you look at yourself in the mirror, what do you see?
ChangKi: A serene face.
By whom would you like to be photographed?
ChangKi: By one of my Korean photographer friends, WOO JeongIl.
An image to illustrate a new banknote?
ChangKi: A sky with clouds, to symbolize the impermanence of things (and money).
Your greatest professional extravagance?
ChangKi: Sleeping in my car by the sea to make sure I don’t miss the sunrise and the morning mist.
A visual memory that marked your career?
ChangKi: Traveling alongside the President of South Korea as his official photographer.
What question would make you lose your temper?
ChangKi: “Did you use artificial intelligence to create your photo? »
What is the last thing you did for the first time?
ChangKi: Stayed in Annecy in a house with a unique panoramic view of the lake.
What place do you still dream of discovering?
ChangKi: The salt flats of Uyuni in Bolivia.
The place you never get tired of?
ChangKi: The Alpujarras in Andalusia.
Your biggest regret?
ChangKi: Selling my studio in Korea.
When it comes to social media, are you more into Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and why?
ChangKi: Mainly Instagram. It’s simple to post, and it allows me to update my news regularly and in an impactful way.
Color or black and white?
ChangKi: Right now, it’s a big comeback to black and white!
Daylight or studio light?
ChangKi: Always daylight. It’s difficult to master and it is capricious. It requires a lot of technique, but the quality of the result is so rewarding.
Which city seems the most photogenic to you?
ChangKi: Naples.
If God existed, would you ask him to pose for you, or would you prefer a selfie with him?
ChangKi: I’d like to take his portrait.
If I could organize your ideal dinner, who would be at the table?
ChangKi: My parents.
The image that represents the current state of the world to you?
ChangKi: A photo that represents instability but also the possibility of a future less hopeless than it seems, like my photo “Take it easy” from the series “Light inside me.” Humor as a remedy for gloom!
If you hadn’t been a photographer?
ChangKi: When I was younger, I dreamed of being a fighter pilot in the army.
If you had to start all over again?
ChangKi: I would be a nomadic and traveling photographer.
What would you like people to say about you?
ChangKi: That I never stop reinventing my art with passion.
A final word?
ChangKi: These last 15 years in France have been very rich. The diversity of landscapes, architecture, objects, and the subtlety of the French language and culture have inspired my work every day.
