The KIM’s Collection at Kansong Art Museum
Kansong Art Museum unveils a special exhibition highlighting the collection of seven notable collectors, presenting 26 works composed of 40 pieces, including four national treasures and four important cultural properties. The exhibition features works collected by prominent modern collectors such as Hee-dang Yoon Hee-jung, Song-eun Lee Byung-jik, and John Gadsby.
Titled “Precious Treasures: The Kansong Collection, Modern Insight at Bohwagak,” the exhibition opens to the public on October 17 at Seoul’s Kansong Art Museum. This event offers a rare glimpse into the aesthetics of a bygone era that valued concealment as a form of preservation and artistic resistance.
Kansong Jeon Hyeong-pil, considered a visionary collector during the Japanese colonial period, discreetly acquired and preserved cultural artifacts as a means of national preservation through culture. The exhibition showcases the depth of Kansong’s collection and pays homage to seven influential collectors of modern Korean art.
Among the highlights are John Gadsby’s collection of Korean ceramics, which includes nine pieces of exceptional significance, such as National Treasure No. 4, the Blue-and-White Porcelain Ewer with Phoenix Design. The collection’s historical context is emphasized over its monetary value, with Kansong’s purchase and repatriation of these artifacts from Japan in 1937 underscoring its importance.
Additionally, the exhibition marks the debut of No Su-hyeon’s painting “Hibiscus,” created in 1946 and inscribed with a refrain from the Korean national anthem. This piece epitomizes cultural resistance and the preservation of national identity during difficult times.
The exhibition will run until November 30, offering guided tours and audio guides. Admission is priced at 5,000 won for adults, with discounts or free entry for preschoolers and national merit holders.