Sally Ko was born in Seoul, Korea in 1971 and immigrated to the United States with her family when she was two years old. She grew up in Chicago's northern suburbs and now lives in Chicago with a studio in Pilsen. It was as a young girl, newly immigrated to the States, and unable to communicate verbally, that Sally initially found a place to speak through art.
Over the years, Sally has passed through phases of figurative and minimalist styles developing a truly unique aesthetic that now bears the stamp of her spirit. Sally left her paintbrush on the counter five years ago and began pouring paint, in the vein of Jackson Pollock, to create the loose, yet controlled sensation of her paintings. Her signature large-scale paintings are explosively alive, satisfyingly rich with texture, color, and the raw emotion of an unpredictable line.
Over the past year and a half, Sally has sold more than 40 paintings to private collectors: her paintings are a part of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Jordan's collection, as well as a part of the Driehaus family collection in Prague. Her paintings have been shown publicly as well: her works are permanently on display at Gioco, a fashionable South Loop restaurant, and in a group show at The Illuminating Company, Jerry Kleiner's event space on 21st Street, and were also recently exhibited in a private show at BBDO Chicago. Her paintings have also been featured in print, appearing in spreads in Shelter and Chicago magazines in 2004.
The act of painting is a very personal and spiritual experience for Sally. Creating the repetitive patterning within her paintings allows her to slowly and methodically works out the kinks in her mind. It is a process she treasures and will nurture throughout her life. As the artist herself says, "It is a lifetime process to be an artist."