Meet Tera Cho | Visual Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tera Cho and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tera, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Actually, I started my career as a graphic designer in high school. I did freelance work for clients both in Taiwan and internationally, interned at a design studio, got into the best design school in Taiwan with almost the highest scores through portfolio, and worked as an art director for a startup team — all of this happened by the age of 20. I was really passionate about design. However, the more work I did, the more limitations I found myself facing.

I’ve always had a strong desire to study theory, but you don’t necessarily need sociology to do design. As a graphic designer, the limitations often come from the client’s tastes or needs. After the internship, I couldn’t imagine myself ending up in the same office, in the same cubicle, nine hours a day, five days a week, for the rest of my life. (That’s exactly what my mom’s life is like — she’s also a graphic designer.) These were part of the reasons I turned toward and pursued art. It’s been a few years since that shift.

I used to think about the reason I do art a lot, and the answer has changed over time. In the beginning, I thought it’s because there’re too much in life that has to be spoken, or, they’re some extreme beauty that I found in some works that makes me, as well, want to realise. But at some point, the reason just seems simple, it’s because art is the thing, in some way, boundless. The state of seeing my own finitude, a stable version of life, it just intimidates me. And I’m just not built for that.

I guess I chose an art career for how challenging it actually is.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started with making new media/technology art, such as generative sound & visual or kinetic installations, but recently it’s mostly conceptual works through installation with a very wide range of medium. Everything you need to know is in my website ; )

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m currently based in Taipei, where you can go onto mountain and go down to the sea in a day, and definitely try the food i think!

Go to woodensounds & Garnet Cru (coffeeshop in zhongshan with exquisite music taste), Dadaocheng Wharf Container Market to grab a pint of beer for a walk in the evening, Rabbit hole + Pawnshop for a night out, and check on @temple_meltdown on insta see if there’s upcoming rave party.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My parents, always. I started to realize how lucky I actually am since I start making art, art is an extremely privilege thing to do, they support me anyway. I’m really grateful for that.

Website: https://terayu07.myportfolio.com

Instagram: terayu07

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terayu07/

Image Credits
Tera Cho