The Korean Cultural Center New York is holding the special exhibition "The Present Tense" together with the National Academy of Arts of the Republic of Korea. It features 25 works across painting, sculpture, crafts, calligraphy and architecture by 20 active members of the academy's fine arts division and five late masters: Kim Whanki, Chun Kyung-ja, Suh Se-ok, Lee Jong-sang and Chung Sang-hwa. The exhibition runs from Nov. 19 to Dec. 18 in the second-floor gallery of the center on 32nd Street in Manhattan, with an opening event on the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 18.
Kim Whanki, Chun Kyung-ja, Suh Se-ok, Ha Chong-hyun. Works by the artists who led modern and contemporary Korean art will gather in the heart of Manhattan's Koreatown. The Korean Cultural Center New York announced on the 9th that it will hold the special exhibition "The Present Tense," together with the National Academy of Arts of the Republic of Korea, from Thursday, Nov. 19, to Friday, Dec. 18, in the second-floor gallery of the center on 32nd Street in Manhattan. The opening event takes place the evening before, on Wednesday, Nov. 18.
The exhibition includes 25 works in all. Works by 20 active members of the academy's fine arts division are joined by those of five late masters: Kim Whanki, Chun Kyung-ja, Suh Se-ok, Lee Jong-sang and Chung Sang-hwa. By genre, there are 15 paintings, four sculptures, four craft works, one calligraphy work and one architecture work.
Korean Art Read in the Present, Across Eras
The title "The Present Tense" reflects the idea that a work transcends the era in which it was made and gains new meaning each time it meets a viewer with a different perspective. The center described the show as a chance to see, in one place, the work of several generations of artists who have expanded the possibilities of Korean art through their handling of traditional materials, new techniques and forms of expression. The aim is to showcase the depth and diversity of Korean visual art in New York, where interest in K-culture has grown.
Among the works the center singled out as representative is "Conjunction 24-11" (2024) by Ha Chong-hyun, a first-generation Dansaekhwa artist. It belongs to his series known for the "baeapbeop" technique, in which paint is pushed through the back of coarse burlap. Also on view are Chun Kyung-ja's "Woman with Butterflies" (1985), beloved for its vivid colors and female figures among flowers and butterflies, and Suh Se-ok's "People" (2000), which depicts human figures in ink with simple strokes.
Works by active members include Park Kwang-jin's "Sound of Nature 2025-10A-GA" (2025), Yoo Hee-young's "Work 2004R-5" (2004) and sculptor Jeon Loe-jin's "Mountain Family" (1995). Genres and materials vary, from Park's landscape with a yellow field and a simply rendered horizon to Jeon's sculpture of a family carved from white stone.
25 Artists, From Painting to Architecture
The participating artists in painting are Yoon Myeong-ro, Yoo Hee-young, Park Kwang-jin, Kim Suk-jin, Kim Hyung-dae, Ha Chong-hyun, Lee Chul-joo, Oh Yong-gil, Won Moon-ja and Song Su-ryeon, along with the late artists Kim Whanki, Chun Kyung-ja, Suh Se-ok, Lee Jong-sang and Chung Sang-hwa. In sculpture, they are Jeon Loe-jin, Choi Jong-tae, Um Tae-jung and Choi Ui-sun. In crafts, they are Lee Sin-ja (textiles), Kang Chan-gyun (metal), Cho Jung-hyun (ceramics) and Jung Hae-jo (lacquer). Kim Yang-dong participates in calligraphy and Yoon Seung-jung in architecture.
The National Academy of Arts of the Republic of Korea is a state institution made up of senior artists who have contributed to the development of the arts over a lifetime. It is divided into the divisions of literature, fine arts, music, and theater, film and dance. This exhibition is composed of works by members of its fine arts division.
Opening Event on the Evening of Nov. 18
The opening event will be held at the center on Wednesday, Nov. 18, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. It begins with a 40-minute preview of the exhibition starting at 6 p.m., followed by the opening ceremony at 6:40 p.m., a special performance at 6:55 p.m. and a reception from 7:10 p.m. To attend the opening event, you must RSVP in advance through the center's online registration form.
The exhibition can be viewed Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on Sundays and Mondays. The center is on 32nd Street in Manhattan between Park Avenue and Lexington Avenue, within walking distance of Koreatown.