About

JR CHUO (b. 2002) is a contemporary British-Portuguese paper-cut artist based between the United Kingdom and Japan. His practice combines traditional hand-cut techniques with a contemporary visual language, positioning paper as both a sculptural and conceptual medium, with a sustained focus on coral reefs and fragile environmental systems.

Working entirely by hand, CHUO produces highly intricate compositions that often require tens of thousands of individual cuts. His work is characterised by technical precision, material restraint, and engagement with themes of ecological fragility, accumulation, and time.

In 2025, CHUO presented two major solo exhibitions: 100 Thousand Cuts of the Knife (London) and System of Escape (Tokyo). His work has been exhibited internationally and is held in private collections across Europe, North America, and Asia.

CHUO studied Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Cambridge and was a Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholar at Keio University, Tokyo, where he conducted research on the role of public art in post-tsunami regeneration in northeastern Japan; his academic background and extended lived experience in Japan continue to inform the conceptual structure and formal discipline of his practice. He was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list (Arts and Culture) in 2022.