Member Lecture: Korean National Treasures—2,000 Years of Art

The largest Art Institute exhibition devoted to Korean art in four decades, Korean National Treasures: 2,000 Years of Art charts the ideas, values, and traditions that have shaped the country’s creative production from the Three Kingdoms period (57 BCE–676 CE) through the 1900s.

Among the 140 artworks on view—which include modern and historical paintings, ceramics, and objects made for Buddhist worship and scholarly study—22 are officially recognized as National Treasures or Treasures by the Korean government. These objects are remarkable examples of their type and are distinguished by their significant historic, artistic, and academic value.

Join Yeonsoo Chee, Korea Foundation Associate Curator of Korean Art, for a deep dive into the exhibition and its exceptional objects. Following the lecture, Yeonsoo will be joined onstage by Kim Sunghee, director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, who will share insights on the Lee Kun-Hee collection at MMCA.

About the Speaker

Yeonsoo Chee is Korea Foundation Associate Curator of Korean art in the Arts of Asia department at the Art Institute of Chicago and a specialist in modern Korean paintings and the court art during the Joseon dynasty. Prior to joining the Art Institute, she worked at the National Palace Museum of Korea as curator and director of exhibitions and the USC Pacific Asia Museum, Southern California’s only museum dedicated to Asian art.   

Kim Sunghee serves as the 22nd director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. A veteran art professional, she has held numerous roles across the Korean art scene over the past 35 years in exhibition curation, art education, and the discovery and support of emerging artists.

If you have any questions about programming, please reach out to [email protected].

Closed captioning will be available for this program. For questions related to accessibility accommodations, please email [email protected].