The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (KCCDC) proudly presents Hanji: Embracing Color, a new exhibition of works by artist Lee Seung-chul that explores the chromatic and sculptural possibilities of hanji, traditional Korean paper, while also tracing its deep cultural roots as a hand-made medium for both craft and communication.   On view August 20 through November 20 with a public pre-opening reception on Wednesday, August 19, the exhibition presents a dizzying array of hanji (한지)-based artworks characterized by their tactile physicality, sculptural presence, and vibrant, nature-derived colors.   Buddhist sculptural forms in both gold and stone-like hues, floating multicolor moon jars evocative of classical porcelain dalhangari (달항아리), and even fragments of bandaji (반닫이) chest furniture all adorn the gallery floors, walls, and ceilings, alongside the artist’s bojagi (보자기) wrapping cloth textile works that feature the same traditional natural dyes. The exhibition also highlights those traditional natural colors derived from plant- and mineral-based pigments that are applied to hanji without obscuring the underlying material qualities. Lee’s works, based on more than 40 years of study and conservation research, are thus elevated visually as they convey the richness of Korea’s distinctive color palette and its aesthetic sensibility.   Also presented in the exhibition are historical examples of hanji collected by the artist over many years, including books and official papers that trace their roots back to Korea’s ancient Joseon Dynasty, offering visitors a broader understanding of hanji’s history and cultural significance. For centuries in Korea, hanji was far more than mere paper for writing—it was used in architecture, handicrafts, painting, preservation, and the creation of everyday objects with great utility, while also serving as one of Korea’s most enduring cultural heritage materials. Renowned for its distinctive texture, durability, and textured, expressive qualities, hanji continues to inspire contemporary artistic practices. In recent years, its cultural significance and traditional craftsmanship have also gained international recognition.   On a deeper level, Lee’s hanji works explore the distant origins of Korea’s traditional culture and visual language. As he researches the material qualities of hanji, Lee reinterprets iconic Korean cultural forms like the Bodhisattva of wisdom or moon jar, both revered through the ages for their beauty and majesty. Rather than simply reproducing such revered forms from Korea’s cultural heritage, Lee uses hanji—a material shaped by centuries of history and tradition—to reawaken the historical significance of these cultural icons.   Hanji: Embracing Color launches with a pre-opening reception on Wednesday August 19, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (registration required), including brief remarks by featured artist Lee Seung-chul followed by a self-guided exhibition tour. Hanji: Embracing Color Exhibition Dates: August 20 – November 20, 2026  Pre-Opening Reception: Wednesday, August 19, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.  Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (2370 Massachusetts Ave. NW) RSVP HERE Lee Seung-chul A Thousand Buddhas Handmade Hanji, natural dyes About the Exhibition Hanji: Embracing Color explores the enduring legacy of hanji and traditional Korean natural colors through the works of artist Lee Seung-chul. Bringing together hanji sculpture, natural dye works, and hanji relics, the exhibition examines how traditional materials continue to shape contemporary artistic practice. Artist Lee Seung-chul has studied hanji and natural colors for more than 40 years. His work does not simply copy traditional forms; rather, he focuses on the essential qualities of tradition and transforms them into a contemporary visual language. Through his works, viewers can experience the beauty of Korean nature, history, and daily life in a new way.   About the Artist LEE Seung-chul is an artist who expands traditional Korean art materials into the language of contemporary art. For over three decades, he has researched hanji, traditional Korean paper, and natural dyeing, exploring the material qualities, passage of time, and color transformations inherent in natural materials. Rather than simply reproducing tradition, he investigates how hanji and natural pigments change, accumulate, and endure over time, visualizing ideas of preservation and loss, memory, and continuity. His work is grounded in extensive research on color reconstruction and material experimentation developed through cultural heritage conservation. Lee has also contributed to international forums on the diversity and future of hanji, with presentations and programs at institutions including the Cité internationale des arts in Paris, the Louvre Museum, ICPAL in Rome, the Vatican Museums, and Fabriano, Italy. His practice brings together research, education, and artistic production. Lee Seung-chul Moon Jar Handmade Hanji, natural dyes, fabric, gold leaf, lacquer Lee Seung-chul Hanji Buddha Handmade Hanji, natural dyes Hanji Relics Collected by Lee Seung-chul

  Intersecting Identities, Lives: Perhaps, All of Us exhibition comes to Washington D.C. courtesy of Korea’s Touring K-Arts Project and the Seoul Museum of Art The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (KCCDC) proudly presents Perhaps, All of Us, a new touring exhibition of acclaimed contemporary art organized by the Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) for Korea’s Touring K-Arts Project, on view June 17 to August 11.   Conceived in Seoul and presented as a traveling exhibition in Washington, D.C. and Ottawa, Perhaps, All of Us examines the shared sense of place between these capital cities. It explores key themes of publicness, historicity, and diversity through the lens of contemporary Korean art and the eyes of visionary artists Park Chan-Kyong, Jungwon Phee, Gala Porras-Kim, Im Youngzoo, Young-jun Tak, Lee JeeYang, Jung Yeondoo, Eunu Lee, Ayoung Kim, Jaehun Park, Park Hyesoo, Jisun Shin, and Shin Mi Jung. Capitals function not only as political, administrative, and cultural centers, but also as spaces where diverse identities, memories, and relationships intersect. They also evolve as urban environments shaped by the accumulation of countless individual lives and experiences. Within this context, Perhaps, All of Us reflects on how we perceive and relate to one another, including which memories and values are preserved or excluded in society.   The 13 participating artists explore the intersection of personal experience and social reality through a wide range of media and perspectives. Their works reveal the norms and boundaries formed within urban spaces, the relationships between communities and others, and the emotions and memories often overlooked in everyday life. In doing so, the exhibition moves beyond individual or regional narratives to raise universal questions that resonate with contemporary audiences.   Perhaps, All of Us is organized into three thematic sections. Part 1, Our Unknown Country, examines publicness through the dynamics of exclusion and hospitality that emerge along the boundaries between “us” and “others.” Part 2, Time Out of Bounds, recalls forgotten or silenced histories to reconsider how the present has been shaped through layers of accumulation and omission. Part 3, Perhaps, All of Us, confronts unfamiliarity and interpersonal difference while also exploring possibilities for coexistence grounded in diversity.   Through the diverse social experiences and sensibilities captured in contemporary Korean art, Perhaps, All of Us invites visitors to empathize with the lives and perspectives of others, and to consider how such empathy may expand into meaningful solidarity.   Perhaps, All of Us launches with an opening reception on Wednesday, June 17, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., including remarks by featured artist Jaehun Park about his artistic practice and the exhibition’s central themes. The opening will also include a guided exhibition tour led by a curator from the Seoul Museum of Art, who will introduce the curatorial framework and key works on view.   Perhaps, All of Us June 17 – August 11, 2026 Opening Reception & Artist Talk: Wednesday, June 17, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (2370 Massachusetts Ave. NW) Featuring Park Chan-Kyong, Jungwon Phee, Gala Porras-Kim, Im Youngzoo, Young-jun Tak, Lee JeeYang, Jung Yeondoo, Eunu Lee, Ayoung Kim, Jaehun Park, Park Hyesoo, Jisun Shin, and Shin Mi Jung RSVP FOR THE OPENING EVENT! About the Exhibition   Perhaps, All of Us reflects on the ways in which we form relationships and coexist in a world shaped by intersecting, diverse life conditions and experiences. Conceived in Seoul and presented as a traveling exhibition in Washington, D.C. and Ottawa, it focuses on the shared spatial identity of these capital cities, drawing out three thematic axes from this foundation: publicness, historicity, and diversity. As centers of politics and administration, and as sites wherein multiple cultures converge, these cities accumulate collective memory and identity even as their boundaries are continually drawn and redrawn.   The exhibition examines these themes in both a Korean context and through the eyes of visionary Korean & Korean-heritage artists Park Chan-Kyong, Jungwon Phee, Gala Porras-Kim, Im Youngzoo, Young-jun Tak, Lee JeeYang, Jung Yeondoo, Eunu Lee, Ayoung Kim, Jaehun Park, Park Hyesoo, Jisun Shin, and Shin Mi Jung.   Part 1: Our Unknown Country examines publicness by exploring how we perceive and relate to one another. It looks closely at the subtle thresholds where “us” and “not us” are defined, and where exclusion and hospitality intersect.   Part 2: Time Out of Bounds calls forth times that have been forgotten or silenced, querying how the present has been shaped through layers of accumulation and omission. In doing so, it both invites a renewed understanding of the present and encourages us to view the future through a historical lens.   Part 3: Perhaps, All of Us confronts the unfamiliarity and differences that arise within the layers of publicness and historicity, seeking possibilities for coexistence grounded in the diversity each of us carries.   Through contemporary Korean art, this exhibition illuminates the intersection of individual experiences and social contexts, prompting a reconsideration of the norms and boundaries we often take for granted. The narratives explored in the works extend beyond any single region, resonating with the situations we all face in the contemporary era. As we strive to measure and understand one another’s lives and temporalities, we begin to empathize with the experiences of others. That empathy, in turn, has the potential to expand into solidarity, bringing us, perhaps, closer to what it truly means to be “us.”   For more on the featured artists and their individual practices, see below.    Part 1: Our Unknown Country   Jaehun Park Ritual for the Iceberg 2022, 3D simulation video on square LED display, sound, 4 min. 16 sec., ed. 3/3, Courtesy of the artist, commissioned by LG Display and Ulsan Art Museum Park Chan-Kyong Folkism_Rock Man  2010, digital pigment print, 76 × 70 cm, Seoul Museum of Art Collection Ayoung Kim PH Express 2011, two-channel video, color, sound (stereo), 31 min. 57 sec., ed. 2/3 (3+A.P.1), Seoul Museum of Art Collection Park Hyesoo A place for anybody and somebody, Audience No. 43 2020, steel chair, variable paper chair, polaroid film, text, single-channel video, color, sound, 15 min. 33 sec., dimensions variable Seoul Museum of Art Collection Part 2: Time Out of Bounds Ayoung Kim PH Express 2011, two-channel video, color, sound (stereo), 31 min. 57 sec., ed. 2/3 (3+A.P.1), Seoul Museum of Art Collection Im Youngzoo Generally Fair 2017, single-channel video, color, sound (stereo), 7 min. 30 sec., ed. 1/3, Seoul Museum of Art Collection Shin Mi Jung Bam Island 2020, single-channel video, color, sound, 19 min. 41 sec., ed. 1/5 (5+A.P.1), Seoul Museum of Art Collection Jisun Shin The White Fox’s Spellbook 2021, single-channel video, color, sound, 10 min. 12 sec., ed. 1/5, Seoul Museum of Art Collection   Part 3: Perhaps, All of Us Gala Porras-Kim Muscle Memory 2017, single-channel video, black-and-white, silent, 6 min. 10 sec., Seoul Museum of Art Collection, gift of Gala Porras-Kim and Commonwealth and Council Eunu Lee Rusty Bronze 2016, urethane paint on Styrofoam, 52.5 × 125.6 × 17.5 cm, Seoul Museum of Art Collection Lee JeeYang figure#0 2019, archival pigment print, 70 × 70 cm, ed. 1/5 (5+A.P.2), Seoul Museum of Art Collection Jung Yeondoo Six Points 2010, single-channel video, color, sound, 28 min. 44 sec., A.P.1, Seoul Museum of Art Collection Young-jun Tak Love Your Clean Feet on Thursday 2023, single-channel 4K video, color, 5.1 sound, 18 min. 53 sec., ed. 2/5 (5+A.P.2), Seoul Museum of Art Collection, supported by Fondation d'entreprise Hermès, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Burger Collection, Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien, Stiftung Kunstfonds, and NEUSTARTplus-Stipendium Jungwon Phee Untitled: The Black Path CDVIII 2025, oil on canvas, 162.2 × 130.3 cm, Courtesy of the artist  

Explore the History of Korean Art! The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C., in cooperation with MMCA Korea, presents a curator talk screening program featuring exhibitions currently on view at MMCA. The screening introduces the development of Korean modern and contemporary art from the 1900s to today. The video is presented in Korean with English subtitles.  Program Dates: Part 1 May 22 (Fri) 6 PM / Part 2 May 29 (Fri) 6 PM  Location: Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C.  Program Details:  - 18:05 Introduction  - 18:10 Screening  - 18:40 Self-guided Exhibition Tour & Q&A Part 1 RSVP Link / Part 2 RSVP Link Part 1 Introduction to Modern and Contemporary Korean Art Modern and contemporary Korean art is often divided around the period following the Korean War in the 1950s. MMCA Gwacheon has organized its permanent exhibition around the year 1950. The exhibition presents works before the 1950s in chronological order, while the post-1950 section is organized by both historical periods and artistic themes, highlighting the characteristics of different artists and movements. In this screening, two curators guide viewers through the exhibition galleries and introduce the overall structure and themes of the exhibition.   Part 2 Focus on the 1950 – 1960s Korean Art Korean modern art underwent significant changes following the Korean War, particularly through the emergence of artist collectives formed between the late 1950s and 1960s. MMCA Cheongju presents an exhibition exploring these groups, including the Modern Art Association (1957–1960), one of the first independent artist groups in Korea. The exhibition introduces artists who challenged the realism-centered National Art Exhibition of Korea (Kukjeon) and experimented with abstraction and modernist practices while developing their own distinctive visual language. In this screening, viewers can explore how these artist collectives contributed to the development of Korean abstract art and laid the foundation for contemporary Korean art.

The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (KCCDC) proudly presents Connecting Lines, a new exhibition of works by Korean artists Park Hyewon and Kim So Jeong that meditate on life’s diverse connections and unseen structures through the deceptively simple—yet profoundly fundamental and expressive—concept of the line.  Both Park and Kim will introduce their works in person at the opening reception on Tuesday, April 21, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. (RSVP required).   The artists’ works encompass themes of symmetry, repetition, record keeping, connection, and formal expansion, utilizing pen and thread as key media across both physical and visual spaces. Through their practice, each reveals cyclical processes of life within material environments while also reconstructing reality’s seemingly ordinary moments. In doing so, they bring into view unseen relationships and the connective tissues of human life.   For Park and Kim, the line functions not merely as a means of delineation, but as a fundamental unit that reveals, generates, and extends connections.   The artists’ works also speak to line concepts explored by French Philosopher Gilles Deleuze (1925-1995). Deleuze regarded human beings and society not as fixed structures, but as complex relationships formed through the intersection and entanglement of different lines. In this sense, artistic structures formed from multiple lines can be interpreted as the very framework for one’s life.   Connecting Lines remains on view April 21 through June 5, 2026 at the KCCDC and launches with a public opening reception on Tuesday, April 21, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. (RSVP required). The opening event will include an introduction to the exhibition and a session in which both Park and Kim will discuss their works in person. Hungry for more art? Don't miss the KCCDC's closing day for Connecting Lines as you walk the streets of Dupont Circle and Kalorama to discover new hidden gems and old favorites during this monthly community art event! No RSVP required. ArtWalk Dupont Closing Day Evening Hours: Friday, June 5, 6 - 8 PM Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. Connecting Lines: Works by Park Hyewon and Kim So Jeong  Exhibition Dates: April 21 – June 5, 2026 Opening Reception with the Artists: Tuesday, April 21, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. (RSVP below) Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C.    About the Artists and Exhibition   Park Hyewon explores the physical spaces in which human existence unfolds, using the house and notion of home as a central motifs. She employs red thread as her primary material, through which she visualizes life’s invisible processes and various “homes,” including in relationships, birth, and death. By winding, suspending, knotting, and weaving thread, she constructs spatial environments that express both visual and bodily experiences.   Park Hyewon uses thread as her primary sculptural language, weaving together time and relationships within her work. She uses her background in traditional Korean painting to expand the spatial concepts and perspectives of classical landscape painting into contemporary installation practices. Park received her BFA in Korean Painting from Kyung Hee University and an MA in Fine Art from Chelsea College of Art & Design in the United Kingdom. Park has held solo exhibitions in Korea, the UK, the United States, and Taiwan, and has participated in numerous international projects, curated exhibitions, and group shows. For more, visit https://www.instagram.com/hyewonrosapark.   Kim So Jeong draws on the traditional East Asian technique of baekmyo (ink line drawing) as she depicts aspects of everyday life with stark insight. The scenes she captures are often those overlooked or avoided, but in which dissonance lurks within beneath an orderly or perfect appearance. By re-presenting these within red-lined forms, she records and reframes various moments and incidents from contemporary life from a new and distinct vantage point.   Kim appropriates traditional presentation means such as lines, scrolls, and folding screens, as well as formalized historical Korean documentary paintings that illustrated royal ceremonies, protocols, and processions, to depict tense scenes of everyday life, including public protests. Kim hopes that the interpretive possibilities opened up by removing color and text will extend from the scenes she witnessed to the viewer. Kim has held solo exhibitions at venues including Boan1942 and OCI Museum, and has participated in numerous group exhibitions at spaces such as Hanwon Museum and Space Can. She received her BFA (2014) and MFA (2017) in Oriental Painting from Ewha Womans University College of Art and Design. For more, visit https://sojeong-kim.com.   Connecting Lines also features a third gallery, in addition to Park and Kim’s individual spaces, dedicated to archival documentation of the artists’ practices. Interviews, exhibition catalogs, and related materials invite visitors into a deeper understanding of the artists’ works and their evolution over time, connecting their own past, present, and future.   Collectively the exhibition synthesizes the artists’ reflections on human existence—from relationships between life and death to pivotal moments whose significance is only revealed in retrospect. Connecting Lines offers an opportunity to reconsider the layered meanings of our own lives that intersect and unfold through myriad lines, both visible and invisible. The House of One Peng  Park Hyewon  Red threads on PC pipe, installation view Sweet Home  Park Hyewon Embroidery on linen, 7.5cm, 2024 Por qué 01 Kim So Jeong Color on paper, 76x60 cm, 2025 Por qué 02 Kim So Jeong Color on paper, 76x60 cm, 2025

Starting February 26, “The Evolution of K-Pop” exhibition and interactive experience will be held in the first-floor Experience Zone at the Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. The exhibition highlights the history of K-Pop, official light sticks, album displays from 1st to 5th generation K-Pop artists, and a special photo card showcase. Small gifts for visitors (stickers and pins) will also be available. We invite you to stop by and explore at your leisure! 🎶✨