Director: Eunjoo Choi; Photo: Chang-rai Song; Model: Sarang Lee Previously published in Hanbok no.4 (Seoul: Hanbok Advancement Center, 2016) Riding the Korean Wave sweeping the world, the traditional Korean costumes have become increasingly visible in global media. In 2021, hanbok - the generic term referring to traditional style Korean clothing - was registered in the Oxford English Dictionary. In this comprehensive series of lectures, Dr. Minjee Kim, the preeminent scholar… Read More

"Hair has the potential to embody both mind and matter. In my sculptures I tie hair together piece by piece into nearly invisible forms that represent ineffable thoughts and the conscious and subconscious mind." - Jayoung Yoon Jayoung Yoon's work is composed of strands of her own hair that are hand knotted or woven into forms to create intricate sculptures. The woven hair resembles fine nets or webs, allowing the… Read More

"I weave and connect traces and tracks of subtle changes into organic forms. The organic forms are made with mass-produced industrial materials, in particular, Monofilament and cable ties. They are non–durable, disposable, trivial, inexpensive and easily consumed materials. But, when I weave and connect them, they are transformed into organic visualizations. I want them to be creating lasting moments, evoking and encapsulating our precious thoughts." - Sui Park Sui Park… Read More

"Cutting up, breaking apart, or melting, are some of the ways I lose my familiarity with an object and see its material qualities. Exposing a hidden rawness, I am able to consider the gap between how I know these objects and what they really are. I hope my sculptures can turn things that are considered passive and inert into new unknowns with unexpected eccentric faces." - Woomin Kim Through her… Read More

September 30, 2021 - January 28, 2022| Opening Reception: September 30, 2021 | 6 - 8 PM| In this group exhibition, three artists challenge and redefine the conventional idea of fiber and textile art by employing already-established techniques of weaving, embroidery, and assemblage with new materials and creating and inventing new forms. Featuring the work of Woomin Kim, Sui Park, and Jayoung Yoon. Our gallery is open only by appointment.… Read More

The thing that really struck me was the grit and resilience of the people — they were in the process of recovering from a devastating war that displaced so many people. But the markets were crowded, people went about their business — things had to get done! They had to survive and thrive! … When I see Korea now and think back to that time, Korea’s success should come as… Read More

Image courtesy of Mina Cheon Studio The global art activist Mina Cheon draws inspiration from the partition of the Korean peninsula, in which she enlists a range of mediums including painting, sculpture, video, installation, and performance to deconstruct and reconcile the precarious history and ongoing coexistence between North and South Korea. Her solo exhibition at The Korea Society showcases her most recent painting series of Unification Flags. Mina Cheon will… Read More

Illustrator Wooh Na Young, also known by her pen name "Obsidian," has caught the eyes of people around the world with her distinctive style of reinterpreting Western characters in hanbok, Korean traditional clothing. Combining her training in both traditional style of Asian painting and game design, her illustrations have become a viral sensation and a unique way of promoting the beauty of hanbok. Meet the illustrator who has captivated the… Read More

Statues, paintings, and masks—like the bodies of shamans and spirit mediums—give material form and presence to otherwise invisible entities, and sometimes these objects are understood to be enlivened. Dr. Laurel Kendall explores how magical images are expected to work with the shamans and spirit mediums in contemporary South Korea and compares the use of these shamanic images with similar practices in Vietnam, Myanmar, and Bali. The question of empowered images… Read More

Soonchoel Byun's solo exhibition at the Korea Society Gallery, his first one in New York in two decades, showcases nine photographs from his 2015 series Eternal Family which records and digitally creates a reunion between family members separated by the Korean War. Created with utmost sensitivity and respect for the personal and historical tragedy, Byun’s art is a poignant reminder of the devastating consequences of the war that still remains… Read More