Social Graphics: The Art of Jeski salutes the award-winning efforts of artist and social activist Jeseok Yi, who has wowed the design and non-profit communities with his thoughtful and often satirical works. Featuring fourteen of Korean-born Jeski’s works for organizations like the Red Cross, Salvation Army, World Vision, City Harvest New York, the American Disability Association and the Global Coalition for Peace, the exhibition provides sharp and insightful commentary on… Read More

The Korea Society presents the writings of celebrated artist, poet, and philosopher Lee UFan, in conjunction with the Guggenheim Museum's retrospective exhibition, Lee UFan: Marking Infinity (June 24-September 28, 2011). Born in Korea in 1936, Lee has been an artistic and intellectual force in Korea, Japan, and Europe for more than four decades, articulating a unique aesthetic and philosophical stance grounded in modernity critique and Post-Minimalist practice. Lee, the author… Read More

During Korea’s drive for economic modernization, commercial artists created goods and advertisements that were visually appealing and richly detailed. After the war, Korea transformed itself economically, yet rapid growth was accompanied by dramatic social changes and political concerns surrounding authoritarianism. By the late 1980s, Korea had embraced democracy and a newly prosperous society clamored for fresh goods manufactured for domestic consumption. With the 1988 Olympic games, Korean products and adverts… Read More

February 22—March 31, 2011 Traditional Korean quilting, with its unique “nubi” line-stitching, is elevated to a high art under the masterful hands of award-winning artisan Haeja Kim. A designated holder of an Important Intangible Cultural Property award by the Korean government for her efforts at preserving Korea’s artistic heritage, Kim meticulously line-stitches layers of batting and fabric into fine garments and coverings. The tiny stitches are employed over each article… Read More

New York City’s first cross-disciplinary exhibition of Korean architecture, landscape design, and urban planning celebrates both globalizing and hybridized conditions in contemporary Korean society. In cooperation with Harvard Graduate School of Design. Tuesday, December 7, 2010 5 PM | Members Preview 6 PM | Public Reception Read More

Elizabeth Keith, an intrepid traveler and visionary artist, first ventured to Asia almost a century ago, where she filled travel journals with lively, realistic sketches of Korea and other destinations. At the encouragement of a Japanese publisher, she translated her sketches and watercolors into etchings and woodblock prints. As author of Eastern Windows (1928) and Old Korea (1946), Keith sought to capture a “vanishing Korea,” and her work remains especially… Read More

The Korea Society marks the 60th anniversary of the start of the Korean War with two exhibitions running June 25 through September 10: Steel Helmets: U.S. Korean War Graphics and Korean War in Color. Both open six decades to the day of the outbreak of conflict. Steel Helmets: U.S. Korean War Graphics features twenty-eight framed graphics—eighteen Korean War film posters and ten comics—from the era. With images ranging from the… Read More

Koreans expressed their passion and fear through masked dance for hundreds of years. The dance-drama dates back to shamanic ritual aimed at warding off malevolent spirits and grew into a form of popular entertainment that poked fun at the establishment.March 4—April 25, 2010 Free and Open to the Public. The Korea Society Gallery950 Third Avenue @ 57th Street, 8th Floor (Building entrance on SW corner of Third Avenue and 57th… Read More

Shown for the first time in the United States, the collection features a rare collection of locks, latches and key charms, from the Chosŏn Dynasty (1392-1910), beautifully designed metal and wood objects executed in myriad shapes. This exhibition features a rare collection of locks, latches and key charms, from the Chosŏn Dynasty (1392-1910). The items reveal the richly symbolic and exquisitely decorative dimensions of traditional Korean aesthetic and craft traditions.… Read More

The arrival of the first Western missionaries in Korea in the late 19th century was a pivotal moment in the history of Christianity in Korea and the history of Korea as a whole. The missionaries established new religious identities and stoked early culture clashes. They also documented their mission and the society around them with early cameras. Missionary Photography in Korea: Encountering the West Through Christianity—the largest ever show of… Read More