Death Valley／California | Whitestone Gallery

Death Valley／California, AHHI CHOI, 2025Acrylic on canvas41.0 × 31.8 cmThis work was created based on memories of a visit to Death Valley, a national park in California. Once an ancient sea, the land was uplifted over time, leaving behind salt that now covers the ground—an otherworldly landscape that hardly seems to belong to Earth. The temperature was close to 40 degrees Celsius, and the moment I stepped out of the car, an intense, piercing sunlight poured down without mercy. I rendered that blinding brightness into yellow on a white canvas, giving form to the overwhelming memory of light in Death Valley.

2025
Acrylic on canvas
41.0 × 31.8 cm

This work was created based on memories of a visit to Death Valley, a national park in California. Once an ancient sea, the land was uplifted over time, leaving behind salt that now covers the ground—an otherworldly landscape that hardly seems to belong to Earth. The temperature was close to 40 degrees Celsius, and the moment I stepped out of the car, an intense, piercing sunlight poured down without mercy. I rendered that blinding brightness into yellow on a white canvas, giving form to the overwhelming memory of light in Death Valley.

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Untitled AH-518, AHHI CHOI, 2024Acrylic on canvas60.5 × 50.0 cm

Untitled AH-518

Untitled AH-517, AHHI CHOI, 2025Acrylic on canvas60.5 × 50.0 cm

Untitled AH-517

Untitled AH-516, AHHI CHOI, 2024Acrylic on canvas61.0 × 50.0 cm

Untitled AH-516

Untitled AH-515, AHHI CHOI, 2025Acrylic on canvas60.5 × 50.0 cm

Untitled AH-515

Untitled AH-514, AHHI CHOI, 2024Acrylic on canvas50.0 × 72.5 cm

Untitled AH-514

Untitled AH-513, AHHI CHOI, 2024Acrylic on canvas61.0 × 50.0 cm

Untitled AH-513

Untitled AH-512, AHHI CHOI, 2024Acrylic on canvas53.5 × 45.5 cm

Untitled AH-512

Untitled AH-511, AHHI CHOI, 2024Acrylic on canvas53.5 × 46.0 cm

Untitled AH-511

Untitled AH-510, AHHI CHOI, 2026Acrylic on canvas41.5 × 32.0 cm

Untitled AH-510

Untitled AH-509, AHHI CHOI, 2026Acrylic on canvas41.3 × 32.0 cm

Untitled AH-509

Untitled AH-508, AHHI CHOI, 2026Acrylic on canvas38.0 × 45.5 cm

Untitled AH-508

Untitled AH-514, AHHI CHOI, 2025Acrylic on canvas60.6 × 50.0 cm

Untitled AH-514

Untitled AH-513, AHHI CHOI, 2026Acrylic on canvas45.5 × 38.0 cm

Untitled AH-513

Untitled AH-512, AHHI CHOI, 2026Acrylic on canvas45.5 × 38.0 cm

Untitled AH-512

Untitled AH-511, AHHI CHOI, 2026Acrylic on canvas41.0 × 31.8 cm

Untitled AH-511

Untitled AH-510, AHHI CHOI, 2026Acrylic on canvas41.0 × 31.8 cm

Untitled AH-510

Untitled AH-509, AHHI CHOI, 2025Acrylic on canvas33.3 × 24.2 cm

Untitled AH-509

Untitled AH-508, AHHI CHOI, 2025Acrylic on canvas33.3 × 24.2 cm

Untitled AH-508

Passing Shower／Hawaii, AHHI CHOI, 2025Acrylic on canvas53.0 × 45.5 cmWhile driving in Hawaii, I encountered a downpour like a bucket of water being overturned. A heavy squall struck as I was traveling along a mountain road, with rain violently beating against the car windows. Before I knew it, the road had turned into a river, flooded with overflowing water to the point where the car could no longer move forward. Within just 15 to 20 minutes, the sky cleared as if nothing had happened. Yet the moment remains vividly etched in my memory—the raw power of nature, utterly beyond human control.

Passing Shower／Hawaii

The Sea and Cumulonimbus Clouds, AHHI CHOI, 2025Acrylic on canvas31.8 × 41.0 cmThis work depicts the sea in Shikoku, which I visited for surfing. In front of me stretched powerful, towering waves capable of engulfing surfers. Above, cumulonimbus clouds rose densely into the sky, creating a landscape in which the sea and the sky seemed to compete with one another in presence. It was a scene filled with the overwhelming energy of nature, and the exhilaration of being immersed within it. The memory of that day’s ocean is condensed within this work.

The Sea and Cumulonimbus Clouds

Kujūku Islands／Nagasaki, AHHI CHOI, 2025Acrylic on canvas31.8 × 41.0 cmI visited the Kujukushima Islands in Nagasaki at dusk. Soft sunlight gently illuminated the islands, gradually slanting as it painted the sea surface in shades of orange. A calm atmosphere, free from any sense of urgency, filled the entire scene. The unique landscape formed by the intricate arrangement of islands of various sizes intertwined with the soft memory of that evening, and together they gave birth to this work. It was a moment during my journey that made me realize there are still so many beautiful landscapes in Japan that I have yet to discover.

Kujūku Islands／Nagasaki

Death Valley／California, AHHI CHOI, 2025Acrylic on canvas41.0 × 31.8 cmThis work was created based on memories of a visit to Death Valley, a national park in California. Once an ancient sea, the land was uplifted over time, leaving behind salt that now covers the ground—an otherworldly landscape that hardly seems to belong to Earth. The temperature was close to 40 degrees Celsius, and the moment I stepped out of the car, an intense, piercing sunlight poured down without mercy. I rendered that blinding brightness into yellow on a white canvas, giving form to the overwhelming memory of light in Death Valley.

Death Valley／California

Giant Tree, AHHI CHOI, 2025Acrylic on canvas45.5 × 38.0 cmWhen I encounter large trees during my travels, I find myself instinctively stopping and looking up at them. Trees that have taken root in the same place for decades, or even centuries longer than I have been alive, and have stood there in quiet endurance seem to possess an indescribable power. Each trunk and branch appears to bear the marks of having survived wind and rain over time, and every time I see them, I am struck by an overwhelming sense of energy and vitality. I have infused this work with my respect and sense of awe toward such trees.

Banyan Tree Forest／Okinawa, AHHI CHOI, 2025Acrylic on canvas45.5 × 38.0 cmEvery time I visit Okinawa, I feel as though my mind and body are being replenished. Okinawa, which I make a point of visiting every year, is a very special place for me. Among its landscapes, I am always deeply struck by Banyan trees. From their branches, countless aerial roots hang down, reaching desperately toward the ground in search of water. In that form, I always sense an overwhelming vitality. Flexible yet powerful, Banyan possesses a uniquely distinctive shape. In this work, I have depicted the energy it embodies from my own perspective.

Banyan Tree Forest／Okinawa

Diamond Head／Hawaii, AHHI CHOI, 2026Acrylic on canvas33.3 × 53.0 cmNo matter how many times I visit, I am always drawn to the ridgeline of Diamond Head. Sitting in the shade of a tree and slowly gazing at its form under Hawaii’s gentle sunlight is a time that brings a sense of calm and happiness. Nothing special happens, yet simply being there is enough to feel fulfilled. I imagine many people may have experienced a similar feeling. Through this work, I would be glad if I could share that quiet, happy memory with you all.

Diamond Head／Hawaii

Mt. Asama／Gunma, Nagano, AHHI CHOI, 2025Acrylic on canvas22.0 × 55.0 cmThis work was created based on a view of Mount Asama, which I encountered during my solo exhibition in Karuizawa. The beauty of its gently undulating ridgelines was what first caught my eye. There was something nostalgic about the landscape, and it naturally brought a sense of calmness. Although grand in scale, it has a quiet presence that never feels imposing—an atmosphere unique to Mount Asama itself. I captured that moment in a sketch, when the soft curves drawn by the ridgeline and the spaciousness of the sky harmoniously resonated, creating a deeply comforting balance.

Mt. Asama／Gunma, Nagano

Kirihama Coast／Hyogo, AHHI CHOI, 2026Acrylic on canvas22.0 × 55.0 cmThis is a small, little-known beach facing the Sea of Japan in Hyogo Prefecture. The crystal-clear water and the quietness, completely untouched by any sense of noise or bustle, create a deeply comforting atmosphere. It is one of my favorite places, which I visit every summer to enjoy freediving. It is not a polished or refined landscape, but rather a simple, somewhat nostalgic scenery that remains just as it is. I sincerely hope that the stillness and beauty of this place will remain unchanged forever.

Kirihama Coast／Hyogo

Cape Hedo／Okinawa, AHHI CHOI, 2025Acrylic on canvas40.0 × 70.0 cmThis work was created based on a view of Cape Hedo as seen from Daisekirinzan, located at the northernmost tip of Okinawa’s main island. Below spreads a lush, green landscape, beyond which lie the shimmering blue sea, the horizon line, and a July sky, where cumulonimbus clouds drift quietly. Viewed in a gentle breeze, the scene seemed to embody the vast generosity of Okinawa’s natural environment itself. In this piece, I have depicted both the presence of nature I directly witnessed and the landscape reconstructed within my memory.

Cape Hedo／Okinawa

Horizontal Line／Malibu, AHHI CHOI, 2025Acrylic on canvas30.0 × 90.0 cmI lived in Los Angeles for about three years, and it remains one of my favorite places. Spending entire days slowly gazing at the ocean from my favorite hill in Malibu was an irreplaceable time for me back then. Even under strong sunlight, the dry air made everything feel refreshingly clear and light. I often think back to that landscape, where cumulonimbus clouds slowly rose far beyond the horizon, and I hope to see it again someday. This work was created with those memories from that time in mind.

Horizontal Line／Malibu

Mt. Rokko／Hyogo, AHHI CHOI, 2026Acrylic on canvas30.0 × 90.0 cmFrom Ashiya City in Hyogo Prefecture, where I was born and raised, Rokko Mountain was always a familiar presence that I saw as a matter of course. Its ridgeline is the most deeply ingrained landscape in my memory. The rounded silhouette depicted slightly to the right of the center of the work is Mount Kabutoyama. Although it is not a particularly large mountain, its distinctive, softly curved form has long been cherished by local people. Because I have seen this landscape every day since childhood, I feel that it is one of the origins of my artistic practice.

Mt. Rokko／Hyogo

Untitled AH-507, AHHI CHOI, 2026Acrylic on canvas45.5 × 37.9 cm

Untitled AH-507

Nimbin Rocks／Australia, AHHI CHOI, 2025Acrylic on canvas37.9 × 45.5 cmThis work was created based on sketches made during a journey in Australia in February 2019. It depicts the Nimbin Rocks – three massive boulders with distinctive forms, standing side by side as if rising toward the sky within a lush, green mountain landscape. In the scorching heat of nearly 40 degrees Celsius, I sat in the shade of a tree and the moment I witnessed the full grandeur of the scene, I forgot the heat enveloping my body and found myself completely captivated by its overwhelming presence. I preserved the silence and emotion of that moment in my memory of the journey – an atmosphere in which only the calls of wild birds could be heard.

Nimbin Rocks／Australia

Untitled AH-236, AHHI CHOI, 2019Acrylic on canvas53.0 × 45.5 cm

Untitled AH-236

Untitled AH-448, AHHI CHOI, 2024Acrylic on canvas73.0 × 60.6 cm

Untitled AH-448

Untitled AH-462, AHHI CHOI, 2024Panel acrylic on canvas53.0 × 45.5 cm

Untitled AH-462

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Death Valley／California

Death Valley／California

AHHI CHOI

Code: 0540114120

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