Stuffed Animals and Found Objects Reconfigure in Sungho Bae’s Uncanny Sculptures

Chicago-based artist Sungho Bae is transforming discarded childhood toys into deeply unsettling sculptures. Per Colossal, Bae salvages stuffed animals from waste sites and secondhand shops, then deconstructs them into uncanny forms merging fabric, clay, taxidermy eyes, and found objects. Works like "Dansu" and the "Gut" series blend human and animal features in ways that evoke protective amulets designed to ward off evil. His exhibition, titled Apotropaia, explores the ancient Greek concept of magical objects that repel harm—asking how discarded childhood possessions transform when salvaged, dismantled, and reclaimed with entirely new meaning. The show is on view through September sixth at Chicago's Fourth Ward Project Space.

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