Arts of Korea Gallery Ongoing

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The Arts of Korea Gallery focuses on the dynamic epoch of the Joseon dynasty, showcasing objects from that 500-year era as well as interpretations by three contemporary artists. Works from the growing MFAH collections of Korean art are on view along with prestigious loans from the National Museum of Korea.

Established in 2007, the Arts of Korea Gallery is the first gallery dedicated to Korean art in the American South. The MFAH holdings and displays of Korean art have expanded significantly through important loans, gifts, and major acquisitions. The art spans centuries of artistic production from Korea and includes scholars’ accessories, ritual ceramics, ink paintings, decorative objects from everyday life, and works by contemporary artists Ran Hwang, Geejo Lee, and Lee Ufan.

The new installation, unveiled in May 2024, completely transforms the Arts of Korea Gallery, embodying the austere beauty and artistic restraint of Korea’s Joseon period with the sleek, cutting-edge aesthetics of contemporary Korea. Among the highlights is a recent MFAH acquisition: Ran Hwang’s First Wind—CL, made from thousands of buttons hammered into panels. This monumental masterwork represents the gates of the great Joseon palaces of Seoul, showing the enduring beauty and importance of Korean art.

The 19th-century folding screen Seven Jeweled Mountain depicts, in 10 panels, a panorama of the legendary mountain range renowned for its distinctive topography and said to contain seven treasures. A selection of porcelain ritual bowls and vessels reflects the rites of passage—coming-of-age, wedding, funeral, and ancestor worship—of the Confucian values upheld by the scholar class.

Together, these objects illuminate the beauty and artistry of Korean culture across generations.

Arts of Korea Gallery / Reinstallation Date: May 16, 2024