MIAMI, FLA.- Opera Gallery Miami presents ‘Nature in Form’, a two-artist exhibition pairing Cho Sung-Hee’s delicate works constructed from hanji paper with Pieter Obels’ gravity-defying Corten steel sculptures. On view from March 6–29, 2026, the exhibition explores how two distinct practices translate natural principles such as balance, structure, and rhythm into clear, deliberate form.

Working from different geographic and cultural contexts—Obels in the Netherlands and Cho Sung-Hee in South Korea—the artists arrive at a shared visual language defined by their process-oriented practice and material awareness.

Obels harnesses the natural oxidation of Corten steel, guiding an industrial material into forms that feel fluid, light, and in motion. His sculptures appear to float, their sinuous, ribbon-like structures challenging expectations of weight and mass. His practice centers on balance, tension, and the suggestion of movement held in equilibrium.


Pieter Obels, © René Van de Hulst

In contrast, Cho Sung-Hee approaches nature through reduction and accumulation, building her compositions from meticulously layered, hand-cut elements. Light and spatial relationships determine how the work is read and experienced, giving the compositions clarity and structural focus. Rooted in Korean aesthetics and traditions, as well as her own personal memories tied to her family’s garden, her process treats nature as both subject and material framework.

“Despite their vastly different materials and processes, both artists’ work have a strong sense of lightness,” says Dan Benchetrit, Director of Opera Gallery Miami. “Space and proportion are key to how the work is experienced, and the meticulous craftsmanship is immediately evident. Rather than trying to directly emulate nature, both artists focus on working with its basic principles.”


Cho Sung-Hee

Pieter Obels

Pieter Obels (b. 1968, Kruisland, The Netherlands) studied at the Academy for Fine Arts in Tilburg, where he continues to live and work. His sculptures, created entirely by hand, explore the tension between the industrial and the organic. Through elegant curves and balanced forms, he transforms Corten steel into something supple and lyrical. His works have been exhibited across Europe and are part of numerous private and public collections including Bad Ragaz, Switzerland; The Valley, Amsterdam; and Achmea Art Collection, Utrecht, Netherlands.

Cho Sung-Hee

Cho Sung-Hee (b. 1949, Jeon-ju, South Korea) received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Hongik University (Seoul) and her Master of Arts from Ewha Women’s University (Seoul) and also studied at Pratt Institute of Art (New York) and Art Institute of Chicago. Her works have been exhibited and collected in various prestigious private and public institutions including the Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul; the Sejong Art Centre, Seoul; the Telentine Art Centre, Chicago; the L.A. Korea Cultural Service, Los Angeles; the New York Cultural Service; the Mutual Saving and Finance Company, Seoul and Domino Foods, Inc, New York. She now lives and works in Seoul.