Kwi Am Choi Scholarship

Established in 2007, the Kwi Am Choi Exhibition Scholarship is an annual award of $2,000 that recognizes an emerging BC artist between the ages of 18 and 32, and is designed to fund the costs of new artwork creations and mounting a solo exhibition at PoMoArts. This initiative provides recent graduates and students currently enrolled in Fine Arts programs at recognized post-secondary institutions in Canada with the opportunity to display their work in a public art gallery, receive curatorial mentorship, and network with other artists and art professionals. 

About Kwi Am Choi (1954-2006)

Kwi Am Choi was a Korean-born artist known for his experimental and abstract work. Born in Chungmu, South Korea, Choi originally started off in civil engineering before moving into Design when his family immigrated to Ontario, Canada in the late 70’s. He graduated from Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) where he experimented across all mediums, from woodblock printing to photography, illustration, ceramics, sculpturing and mixed media painting.

Much of his work can be attributed to his personal love and appreciation of the outdoors. From bold strokes of vibrant and contrasting colours to his incorporation of driftwood collected on family trips to Tofino, many of his pieces were a reflection of his interactions with nature. Whether it was watching translucent spring leaves sway in the breeze against a soft sun, or the crashing waves of the Pacific Northwest against the shores, his experiences to it through each of his senses - sight, touch, smell, taste, sound, and spirit were translated into his work. A man of few words, Choi – a natural introvert, used his art as a platform for communication.

He was a loving and supportive father and husband, an active member of the Port Moody Arts community and the Korean Artists Society Canada, and a mentor to young emerging artists.