Esther M. Choi is an artist and writer whose work merges photography, sculpture, and historical analysis to explore how visual frameworks shape our understanding of the (post)natural world, deconstructing the conventions and materiality of image-making. Choi’s artistic practice and research draw from art and architectural history, decolonial and postcolonial theory, critical environmental studies, new historicism, and feminist science and technology studies. Her current work investigates the relationship between photography and petromodern materials, focusing on how oil-based and energy-intensive systems shape both image production and the environmental landscape.
Choi’s artistic work intersects with her cultural criticism and writing. She co-edited Architecture at the Edge of Everything Else (MIT Press, 2010) and Architecture Is All Over (Columbia Books, 2017) and has contributed to publications such as E-flux, Artforum, Art Papers, Perspecta, Architectural Record, The Journal of Architectural Education, and Harvard Design Magazine. Choi’s Le Corbuffet (2019), a conceptual project in the form of a cookbook, was a finalist for the James Beard Foundation Photography Award, retooling food photography to critically examine cultural consumption. In 2020, she founded Office Hours, an artist-run initiative to support BIPOC cultural workers, which later evolved into Public Service, a four-part video series examining social change in the cultural industries, sponsored by the Ford Foundation.
Her photographs for T: The New York Times Style Magazine earned a 2024 ASME National Magazine Award nomination. A Getty/ACLS Postdoctoral Fellow, Choi has taught photography and criticism and curatorial practice at OCAD University, as well as architectural history and theory at The Cooper Union and other institutions. She received a joint PhD in Architectural History and Theory and Interdisciplinary Humanities from Princeton University, and holds degrees in photography, as well as architectural history and theory, from Harvard, Concordia, and Toronto Metropolitan Universities. Choi lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.
Email: studio@estherchoi.net
Commercial and editorial work: Visual Studies
Education
2019
Ph.D., Architectural History and Theory/ Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in the Humanities, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
2008
Masters in Design Studies, Architectural History and Theory, Harvard Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, MA
2007
Master of Fine Arts, Photography, Concordia University, Montréal, QC
2001
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Photography, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON
One and Two Person Exhibitions
2022
Air of Repose, Glass House, New Canaan, CT (Postponed)
2021
Modern Societies I, Texas State Galleries, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX
2020
Der Mensch, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN
2008
White Maze, Harvard Graduate School of Design, Gund Hall, Cambridge, MA
2007
Esther Choi/ Jeanie Riddle (Two Person show), Galerie Thérèse Dion, Montréal, QC
Relative Room, Relative Space, Toronto, ON
Continuous Structures, Espace 528. Centre d'art Belgo, Montréal, QC
2006
Gemini (Collaboration with Leigh Davis), Bourget Gallery, Montréal, QC
2001
Running with the Devil (Two person show with Katia Taylor), Ryerson Gallery, Toronto, ON
Select Group Exhibitions
2020
Fulfilled, Banvard Gallery, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
2018
Water Futures, A/D/O, Brooklyn, NY
2015
Radical Pedagogies, 7th Warsaw Under Construction Festival, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, PL
Radical Pedagogies- Action-Reaction-Interaction, Venice Biennale 14th International Architecture, Venice, IT
2013
Radical Pedagogies, Lisbon Triennial “Close, Closer,” Lisbon, PT
2012
Break/Step, Radiator Gallery, Long Island City, NY
Horizon Variations, Camera Club of New York, New York, NY
2011
Summer Group Show, Angell Gallery, Toronto, ON
2009
Elektra Festival International Arts Numériques, 10th Ed., Usine-C, Montréal, QC
2007
Group Show, Galerie Thérèse Dion (Espace 2), Montréal, QC
2006
Ignition 3, Leonard & Bina Ellen Gallery, Montréal, QC
2005
Décalage, The Parisian Laundry, Montréal, QC
Grants, Awards and Fellowships
Ford Foundation, Arts Futures Grant
Canada Council for the Arts
Asian American Arts Alliance
Richard Rogers Fellowship
American Council of Learned Societies
Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts
Society for Architectural Historians
Social Sciences Humanities Research Council of Canada
Centre Interuniversitaire des Arts Mêdiatiques Project Grant
Princeton University
Toronto Arts Council
Recent Press
2022
"Keywords," PIN-UP Magazine, (Summer 2022). Print.
Gabrielle Chua, "Five Artists Who Are Also Masters in the Kitchen," Tatler Asia, (June 2022). Web.
2021
Jess Meyers, “In Conversation: Esther Choi,” Dwell Magazine (Sept./ Oct. 2021): 44–48.
Leilah Stone, “Low Ego, High Impact: Six Initiatives Model Design Justice,” Metropolis (July/ August 2021): 118–31.
Wanda Lau, “Esther Choi: Courage is a Muscle,” (Interview), Architect Magazine. 2021.Web,
Mateo Sancho Cardiel, “Racismo y fluidez de género en el mundo del diseño y arquitectura,” El Pais. May 17, 2021. Web.
Jack Balderamma Morley, "Second Season of Esther Choi's Office Hours Promises More Opportunities for Young Bipoc Designers." Arch Daily. 2021. Web.
Jack Balderamma Morley, "The Second Season of Office Hours Promises More Opportunities for Young BIPOC designers." The Architect's Newspaper. (March 4, 2021). Print and web.
Mimi Zeiger, “It’s Time to Abolish the Architecture Critic,” Dezeen (March 1, 2021). Web.
Daniel Beatty Garcia, “Confinement Kitchen: Feast on your Modernist Heroes,” 032c (Feb. 8, 2021).
2020
Paula Rebuelta, “Le Corbuffet de Esther Choi. Recetario artístico para comer arquitectura,” Room Diseño (Nov. 13, 2020). Web.
Editors, “Office Hours is shifting the landscape for BIPOC creatives,” Architizer. (Oct. 23, 2020). Web
Charu Suri, “A Grassroots Mentorship Program Aims to Break Down Design Industry Barriers,” Architectural Digest (Oct. 19, 2020). Web.
Ophelia Lai, “Le Corbuffet,” AsianArtPacific Issue 119 (July/ Aug. 2020). Web.
Michael Snyder, “Still Life with Fly Swatter or Hourglass, or Lemons,” T: The New York Times Style Magazine (May 12, 2020). Web.
Mona Bavar, “Rethinking Our Neoliberal Society Through Edible Art,” (Interview), Dlish Magazine (May 2, 2020). Web.
Emily O’Brien, “Ink on Paper,” Modern In Denver (Spring 2020): 58–59.
J.J. Charlesworth, “All You Can Read,” Art Review (March 30, 2020). Web.
Chris Cohen, “10 Things We Learned from the Season’s Best Books,” Saveur (March 20, 2020),
Whitney Mallett, “Meet Esther Choi: Artist and Author of Subversive Cookbook Le Corbuffet.” (Interview), PIN-UP Magazine (Feb. 2020).Web.
Daniel Beatty Garcia, “Punishable: Esther Choi Eats Our Idols,” 032c, issue 27 (Winter 2019/20): 292–293.
Kay Schadewald, “Le Corbuffet: (Koch-)Kunst und Kritik,” Architectural Design (Germany) (Jan. 19, 2020).Web.
Eleanor Gibson, “Le Corbuffet cookbook includes recipes for Rem Brûlée and Denise Scott Brownies,” Dezeen (Jan. 8, 2020). Web.
2019
Joshua David Stein, “The Best Gifts for Cooking Dads of All Levels,” Epicurious (Dec. 13, 2019).
“AN rounds up our must-reads for this fall,” Architect’s Newspaper (Nov. 15, 2019). Web.
“41 of the Year’s Most Giftable Coffee-Table Books,” New York Magazine (Nov. 12, 2019). Web.
Margaux Krehl, “Art de vivre: << Le Corbuffet>>, le livre de recettes qui cuisine les stars de l’Art,” Vanity Fair (France) (Nov. 9, 2019). Web.
Peter Smisek, “Food for Thought,” Icon Magazine (Nov. 1, 2019). Web.
Todd Plummer, “11 Fall Cookbooks for Every Type of Foodie.” Vogue (Oct. 16, 2019). Web.
LinYee Yuan, “Le Corbuffet is a riotous homage to the art and design of cooking” (Interview), MOLD Magazine (Oct. 5, 2019). Web.
Kelly Caminero, “Edible Art: A Menu of Satire and Photography with a Culinary Twist” (Interview), The Daily Beast (Oct. 5, 2019). Web.
Anne Quito, “Le Corbuffet: A new recipe book affectionately skewers culture snobs,” Quartzy (Oct. 4, 2019). Web.
Alexandra Alexa, “This Conceptual Cookbook Riffs on Art, Design and Taste (Literally and Figuratively,” Core 77 (Oct. 2, 2019). Web.
“Le Corbuffet: Edible Art and Design Classics,” Creative Colour (Oct. 1, 2019). Web.
Angie Kordic, “An Art Cookbook Like No Other,” (Interview), Widewalls. (Oct. 1, 2019). Web.
Pamela Thomas-Graham, “Best New Books in October 2019,” Dandelion Chandelier. (Sept. 22, 2019).
“Esther Choi’s Book of Satirical and Playful Recipes,” Design Milk (Sept.26, 2019). Web.
Emma Orlow, “A Salad for Frida Kahlo and Other Artist-Inspired Recipes,” T: The New York Times Style Magazine (Sept. 20, 2019). Web.
Alegria Olmeda, “Le Corbuffet o cómo comerse el arte,” FUET Magazine (Sept. 9, 2019). Web.
Holly Black, “Let’s Eat! Delicious Art-Inspired Recipes,” Elephant Magazine (Aug. 25, 2019). Web.
© Esther M. Choi, 2024