Namu Cho was born in Seoul, Korea in 1955 and immigrated to the USA in 1996. Namu has a BA & MFA from Kook-Min University, Seoul, Korea (1982 - 1984). He received his second MFA from Bowling Green State University in 1986. Upon graduation he returned to Seoul Korea, taught at several universities and lectured as well as operating “Namu Art Wear” his own Art Jewelry & Wearable business for ten years before he came back to the US. . Since 1999, Namu Cho has been operating his limited edition art jewelry studio, “Studio Namu” in Bethesda, Maryland. He taught as Adjunct professor at Montgomery College and, The Maryland Institute of Art, Baltimore, MD.
As a Jewelry Artist, he shows nationally at about five Juried Shows a year. Namu has won numerous awards and honors. Craft shows such as Smithsonian Craft Show, American Craft Council’s Baltimore Winter Market, American Crafts Exposition, Philadelphia Museum of art Craft Show, & Washington Craft Show are some of the shows at which Namu has been recognized for his work. Among these distinguished awards is the “Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award” in 2003.http://louiscomforttiffanyfoundation.org/about.html
He and his wife live with son Kyle, 14 and daughter Jada, 6 in Bethesda MD.
| 1984-86 | MFA: Metal Art & Design, Bowling Green State University, Ohio, USA |
| 1975-84 | MFA & BFA: Metal Art & Design, Kook Min University, Seoul, Korea |
| 2012 | Exhibitor's Choice Award, Smithsonian Craft Show, Washington DC |
| 2010 | Gold Award, Smithsonian Craft Show, Washington DC |
| 2009 | Best of Show, Smithsonian Craft Show, Washington DC |
| 2008 | Award of Merit, 1rst Metal Inclinations International Online Exhibition, USA |
| 2007 | Gold Award, Smithsonian Craft Show, Washington DC |
| 2007 | Joan Kowing McGregor Award, American Craft Exposition, Evanston, Illinois |
| 2006 | Honorable Mention, American Craft Exposition, Evanston, Illinois |
| 2006 | Award of Excellence, American Craft Council Show, Baltimore, Maryland |
| 2005 | Excellence in Jewelry, American Craft Exposition, Evanston, Illinois |
| 2005 | First Prize, Palm Beach Fine Craft Show, West Palm Beach, Florida |
| 2004 | Silver Award, Smithsonian Craft Show, Washington DC |
| 2003 | The Louise Comfort Tiffany foundation Award |
| 2003 | Founders Award, American Craft Exposition, Evanston, Illinois |
| 2003 | Excellence Award, Smithsonian Craft Show, Washington DC |
| 2003 | Award and Achievement, American Craft Council Show, San Francisco, California |
| 2002 | Touches Prize, Museum of Art and Craft Show, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| 2002 | Second Prize, American Craft Council Show, Baltimore, Maryland |
| 2001 | Third Prize, American Craft Council Show, Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 2011 | Metalsmith Exhibition in Print 2011, National Ornamental Metal Museum, Memphis, Tennessee |
| 2011 | Taiwan World Design Expo- International Design Exhibition, Cross Over Symbiosis of Craft Design and Environment, Taipei, Taiwan |
| 2010 | 100 @100, Bowling Green State University Alumni Art Exhibition, Bowling Green, Ohio |
| 2010 | 100 @100, Bowling Green State University Alumni Art Exhibition, Bowling Green, Ohio |
| 2009 | “Traces and Trajectories”, Honolulu, HI |
| 2008 | “Myth and Symbols in Korean and American Arts” Asian Gallery, Towson University, Baltimore, MD |
| 2006 | The 9th KORUS Cultural Gala, KORUS House, Embassy of the Republic of Korea, Washington DC |
| 2006 | Metal Element – Beyond, Traveling Invitational Exhibition, Korea and Japan |
| 2005 | “In Search of Dreams Across the Pacific” Howard County Center for the Arts, Ellicott City, MD |
| 2002-05 | The Art of Gold, by Society of North American Goldsmiths, 3-Year Traveling Exhibition in USA |
| 1990-92 | Korean Metal & Fiber 3-Year Traveling Exhibition in Canada & USA |
| 1990 | Korean Contemporary Today, Gallery Bing, Seoul, Korea |
| 1988 | One Person Show, Total Gallery, Seoul, Korea |
| 1986 | One Person Graduate Thesis Show, Bowling Green State University, Ohio |
| 1988 | Lecturer, Maryland Institute of Art, Baltimore, MD, USA |
| 1997-98 | Lecturer, Montgomery College, Rockville, MD, USA |
| 1986-95 | Lecturer, Kook Min University, Sook Myung Women’s University, Kun Kook University, Dong Duck Women’s University |
| 2011 | Exhibition in Print, Metalsmith Magazine (Vol. 31 No. 4) |
| 2009 | Masters “Gold”, Lark Books, New York |
| 2008 | Studio, Metalsmith Magazine (Vol. 28 No. 2) |
| 2008 | Artist Among Us, Montgomery County Insight Magazine |
| 2007 | Discover Damascene Inlay, Jewelry Artist Magazine, USA |
| 2007 | Portrait, GZ ART+DESIZN (Vol.2), Germany |
| 2005 | 500 Brooches, Lark Books, New York |
| 2003 | The Louise Comfort Tiffany Foundation 2003 Award Publication, New York |
| 2002 | Exhibition in Print, Metalsmith Magazine (Volume 22. No. 4) |
| 2002 | “A Lasting Impression (The Artistry of Damascene Inlay)” AJM, USA (March) |
| Society of North American Goldsmiths | |
| American Craft Council |