Large international galleries in South Korea have started to scout for undiscovered ‘K artists.’ American galleries such as Lehmann Maupin and Pace Gallery, along with Thaddaeus Ropac, a renowned European gallery, have all hosted group exhibitions featuring Korean artists for the first time this year, drawing attention from the global art community.
Lehmann Maupin, a globally recognized art gallery, inaugurated ‘Wonderland,’ a collective showcase of four Korean and Korean-American artists. This marks the first time Lehmann Maupin has hosted an exhibition dedicated to Korean artists since its establishment in Korea in 2017. Curated by independent curator Um Tae-guen, the exhibition, which concluded on Feb. 24, garnered acclaim for its varied representations of utopian landscapes by artists of diverse ages, genders, and backgrounds.
Ken Gun Min, based in Los Angeles, symbolically depicted the 1992 Los Angeles Riots. You Gui-mi, who resides in the United States after studying in London, England, conveyed the sense of isolation she experienced as an immigrant and a woman through her pastel-hued, dreamlike paintings.
Thaddaeus Ropac, which branched out to Seoul in 2021, is currently showcasing ‘Nostalgics on realities,’ a collective exhibition of six Korean artists, until Mar. 9. Curated by Kim Sung-woo, the exhibition includes paintings, videos, installations, and sculptures by emerging and established artists, ranging from Jung Eugene, a promising young artist in his 20s, to Nam Hwa-yeon, who was a participant in the Korean Pavilion at the 2019 Venice Biennale.
Pace Gallery, recognized as one of New York’s top three galleries, is featuring a collective exhibition of eight Korean artists specializing in portrait paintings until Mar. 13 at its Seoul venue. Curated by Maeng Jee-young, the exhibition assembles artists from various generations, including Kim Jung-wook, Kim Jin-hee, Ryu Noah, Park Gwang-soo, Suh Yong-sun, Lee Woo-sung, Lee Jae-heon, and Jung Soo-jung.
This raises the question of why global galleries, previously focused on introducing international artists to Korea, are now taking the initiative to discover the next generation of Korean artists who have yet to gain widespread recognition.
Kim Hannah, the Head of Exhibition and Digital at Thaddaeus Ropac Seoul, stated, “Our primary aim in Seoul is to highlight Korean artists and link them to the European art scene. We aimed to present the current state of Korean art, so we entrusted curators familiar with local art for artist selection and exhibition specifics.”
Son Emma, the director of Lehmann Maupin Seoul, also noted, “Our goal is to continuously present Korean artists, introducing them locally and globally to explore international opportunities.”
Analysts link the trend to rising global demand for Korean artists, fueled by K-culture’s popularity. Seo Jin-soo, the Art Market Research Institute head, observed that Korean galleries are shifting focus from established names to discovering local talents, using this strategy to test market reactions before promoting artists internationally.
