Nature in Form: A Study of Balance and Beauty at Opera Gallery Miami
This March, Opera Gallery Miami presents Nature in Form, a refined two-artist exhibition featuring Cho Sung-Hee and Pieter Obels. On view from March 6 through March 29, 2026, the exhibition offers a quiet yet powerful dialogue between material, movement, and the essence of nature itself.
At first glance, the pairing feels unexpected: hanji paper and Corten steel, delicacy and industrial strength. Yet within the gallery space, these opposing materials find harmony. Both artists approach nature not as something to replicate, but as something to interpret, distilling its core principles of balance, structure, and rhythm into intentional form.
Obels’ sculptures are a masterclass in tension and movement. Working with Corten steel, he embraces its natural oxidation, allowing the material to evolve. The result is a series of fluid, ribbon-like structures that appear to defy gravity. His works feel almost suspended, weightless yet grounded, capturing a moment of motion held in perfect equilibrium. There’s a quiet confidence in his approach, where industrial material is softened into something almost lyrical.
In contrast, Cho Sung-Hee’s practice is rooted in patience and precision. Using traditional Korean hanji paper, she constructs layered compositions through a process of careful accumulation. Each piece is hand-cut and placed with intention, allowing light and shadow to shape the viewer’s experience. Her work draws from both Korean artistic traditions and personal memory, particularly reflections of her family’s garden. The result is intimate, structured, and deeply contemplative.
Despite their differences, what connects these two artists is a shared sense of lightness. Space and proportion become just as important as the materials themselves. Rather than overwhelming the viewer, the works invite stillness,a moment to pause and observe how form, texture, and movement interact.
There is no excess here. No overstatement. Just clarity.
Cho Sung-Hee, born in Jeon-ju, South Korea, brings a globally informed perspective shaped by her studies in Seoul, New York, and Chicago. Her work has been exhibited at major institutions and in major collections, reflecting a career rooted in both tradition and evolution. Pieter Obels, based in the Netherlands, continues to explore the relationship between the industrial and the organic, with sculptures exhibited internationally and held in both public and private collections.
Founded in 1994, Opera Gallery has built a global presence in cities such as London, Paris, New York, and Dubai, becoming a key player in the contemporary art world. With Nature in Form, the Miami location delivers an exhibition that feels both intentional and immersive, an experience that doesn’t demand attention but earns it.
In a world that often moves too fast, Nature in Form is a reminder that beauty can exist in restraint.
photo credit: Gabriel Volpi