Korean artist showcases endangered species in upcoming calendar

In the fall, banks often offered large sums to commission calendars, but Go Sang-woo, 47, declined. Instead, he donated the rights to his works to the World Wildlife Fund and created calendars to send to the organization’s supporters.

Go, whose works span digital painting and photography and often depict endangered animals and marginalized individuals, will have his pieces featured in next year’s WWF calendar. Fourteen works portraying endangered wildlife were selected, including one newly unveiled piece.

Go met with reporters at WWF Korea’s Seoul office in Jongno on Nov. 19. A graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, he first gained recognition for self-portraits and portraiture. In Korea, he is best known for "Destiny," a piece showing a blue-furred tiger staring directly at the viewer with an intense gaze.

His creative process begins with photographing endangered animals. He then transforms the images into negative photographs, where shadows and colors are reversed, and meticulously applies digital painting techniques to complete the work. International collectors interested in endangered species, including singer Madonna and hedge fund founder Ray Dalio of Bridgewater Associates, have acquired his works.

"I have loved animals since I was a child, often rescuing stray dogs and cats," Go said. "In 2013, I watched former U.S. Vice President Al Gore’s documentary An Inconvenient Truth, and I realized I wanted to create works for animals endangered by climate change."

He draws inspiration from documentaries, research materials, and news reports. Go travels to remote locations if that is where the animals he wants to depict live. In 2019, after hundreds of koalas died in Australian bushfires, he visited the affected areas to capture them in his work. More recently, after three visits to Baengnyeongdo Island, he was finally able to photograph seals.

He explained, "I wait until the animal looks me in the eyes for more than 10 seconds. If an animal avoids me, I do not depict it." He added, "Eye contact feels like receiving permission from the animal, as if it is allowing me to draw it."

Viewers are immediately struck by the penetrating gaze of his animals. "I pay the most attention to the eyes," Go said. "I want the animal in the work and the viewer to see each other as equals."

"I do not want to force people to care about endangered species," he said. "If viewers simply find my work beautiful, it may naturally inspire change."

WWF provides calendars to donors who support its campaigns. All proceeds are used entirely for the protection of endangered animals.


전채은기자 chan2@donga.com