Rala Choi

Gimhae, South Korea, 1987

Lovers_Distance 1 - 2024. Analog photograph on Canson Edition Etching RAG 310 gr paper. 140 x 96 cm, 142 x 99 x 4.5 cm (framed).

Holding Together, 2024. Analog photograph on Canson Edition Etching RAG 310 gr paper. 140 x 95 cm.

Lovers_Distance 2 - 2024. Analog photograph on Canson Edition Etching RAG 310 gr paper. 140 x 96 cm, 142 x 99 x 4.5 cm (framed).

Lovers 8, 2024 - Analog photograph on Canson Edition Etching RAG 310 gr paper. 100 x 151 cm. 102.5 x 153 x 4.5 cm (framed)

Lovers 7 - 2024. Analog photograph on Canson Edition Etching RAG 310 gr paper. 100 × 100 cm, 102.5 x 102.5 x 4.5 cm (framed).

Lovers 6 - 2024. Analog photograph on Canson Edition Etching RAG 310 gr paper. 140 x 94 cm. 142 x 96.5 x 4.5 cm (framed).

Lovers 3 - 2024. Analog photograph on Canson Edition Etching RAG 310 gr paper. 120 x 78 cm, 122 x 81 x 4.5 cm (framed). 142 x 96.5 x 4.5 cm (framed).

Lovers 1 - 2024. Analog photograph on Canson Edition Etching RAG 310 gr paper. 120 × 81 cm, 122 x 83.5 x 4.5 cm (framed).

Reason - 2023. Analog photograph on Canson Edition Etching RAG 310 gr paper. 140 × 120 cm, 142 x 122.5 x 4.5 cm (framed).

Love - 2023. Analog photograph on Canson Edition Etching RAG 310 gr paper. 140 x 109 cm. 143 x 111 x 4.5 cm (framed)

Leaning Man - 2024. Analog photograph on Canson Edition Etching RAG 310 gr paper. 140 x 96 cm, 142.5 x 102.5 x 4.5 cm (framed).

Emotion Training 4 - 2024. Analog photograph on Canson Edition Etching RAG 310 gr paper. 100 x 77 cm.

Emotion Training 3 - 2024. Analog photograph on Canson Edition Etching RAG 310 gr paper. 100 x 77 cm.

Emotion Training 1 - 2024. Analog photograph on Canson Edition Etching RAG 310 gr paper. 100 x 77 cm.

Untitled - 2016. Analog photograph on Canson Edition Etching RAG 310 gr paper. 40 x 28.5 cm (unframed).

Lady in Yellow Dress 2 - 2016. Analog photograph on Canson Edition Etching RAG 310 gr paper. 142 x 96 cm (framed).

Her 3 - 2016. Analog photograph on Canson Edition Etching RAG 310 gr paper. 132 x 90 cm (framed).

Her 10 - 2019. Analog photograph on Canson Edition Etching RAG 310 gr paper. 143 x 118.5 cm (framed).

Her 2 - 2019. Analog photograph on Canson Edition Etching RAG 310 gr paper. 133 x 89 cm (framed).

Man with a hat - 2016. Analog photograph on Canson Edition Etching RAG 310 gr paper. 113 x 91 cm (framed).

Lips - 2018. Analog photograph on Canson Edition Etching RAG 310 gr paper. 113.5 x 93 cm (framed) .

Lovers - 2021. Analog photograph on Canson Edition Etching RAG 310 gr paper. 102 x 69 cm (framed).

Lady in Yellow dress - 2016. Analog photograph on Canson Edition Etching RAG 310 gr paper. 50 x 50 cm (framed).

Woman with Hat - 2018. Analog photograph on Canson Edition Etching RAG 310 gr paper. 136 x 112 cm (framed).

A woman lying on the sofa - 2018. Analog photograph on Canson Edition Etching RAG 310 gr paper. 96.5 x 144 cm (framed).

About

Lives and works in Seoul, South Korea

South Korean film photographer Hansol Choi, also known as Rala Choi, works with a photography that takes us back to the past through an analogue gaze, in a world that is increasingly digitalised and distanced from reality.

With an appearance that reminds us of painting, Choi makes use of a range of vivid colours that give life and subtle beauty to his works. His photographs create expressive depictions of our inner worlds and relationships. In this way, the artist captures the essence of a moment, stripping himself of any artifice, seeking the most authentic look at the photographic genre.

Rala’s experimentation with photography began after he’d enlisted in the military in 2006. He then spent a few years making commercial and commission-based work, but this never felt quite right. Rala explains it was the support of musicians and friends that allowed him to immerse himself in more self-directed artworks.

For him, the creative process needed distilling into a more intimate process of production; the results are personal reflections of universal emotional experiences. Rala describes his process as beginning with contemplation, then sketches, before a scene materialises, likely illuminated solely by natural light, in which feelings are expressed through colour, character, and Rala’s signature painterly quality.

Following a successful few years in which Rala has had two sold-out solo shows in Seoul, also exhibited internationally, he was awarded the Photography Grand Prix and Prix du Public at the 37th International Festival of Fashion, Photography and Accessories, Hyères in 2022.

CV

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SOLO EXHIBITIONS
Like a blossom, Alzueta Gallery, Barcelona, Spain (2024)
Several Seasons, FUJIFILM Particle, Seoul, South Korea (2024)
Lovers, Villa Noailles, 38th International Festival Of Hyères, Hyères, France (2023)
My Thirty six, Frieze 91 x Mulberry, Hwigyumjae, Seoul, South Korea (2023)
BLUE, Sheriff Gallery, Paris, France (2023)
Solo Presentation, Alzueta Gallery, Barcelona, Spain (2022)
Feel Lost, Plusjun Studio Yongsan, Seoul, South Korea (2021)
Rala Salon, D Museum Project Space, Seoul, South Korea (2017)
Always Boring, Always Sleepy, D Museum Project Space x Glad Live, Seoul, South Korea (2016)

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
This is how we look, is this who we are?, Alzueta Gallery, Barcelona, Spain (2024)
New Portraits, Alzueta Gallery, Barcelona, Spain (2024)
Photographs & Helmut Newton: Provocateur, Phillips London Preview, London, UK (2024)
Photographs, Phillips London Preview, London, UK (2023)
I-M-A-G-I-N-A-T-I-O-N-S, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France (2022)
37th International Festival Of Hyères, Villa Noailles, Hyères, France (2022)

ART FAIRS
ENTER ART FAIR, Alzueta Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark (2024)
PHOTO BASEL FAIR, Frames, Basel, Switzerland (2024)
PHOTO LONDON FAIR, Bildhalle Gallery, London, UK (2024)

AWARDS
“Grand Prix du Jury Photographie”, The 37th International Festival Hyères, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France (2022)
“Prix du Public”, The 37th International Festival Hyères, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France (2022)

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Selected Exhibitions

New Portraits

Alzueta Gallery Barcelona Turó

Finished

15/02/2024 to 22/03/2024

Like a Blossom

Alzueta Gallery Barcelona Sèneca

Finished

25/06/2024 to 26/07/2024

This Is How We Look, Is This Who We Are?

Alzueta Gallery Barcelona Sèneca

Current

12/12/2024 to 11/01/2025