British Museum hosts major Korean art exhibition

The British Museum is hosting ‘Korea’, its first major exhibition dedicated to Korean art and history in over 40 years. The showcase features 100 pieces spanning from 300 B.C. to the present day, exploring the cultural traditions and spiritual beliefs that have shaped the peninsula.

The collection includes 10 national treasures and 13 other officially recognized treasures. Highlights include a 900-year-old incense burner and a 1,000-year-old Buddhist temple bell. The exhibition traces the evolution of Korean aesthetics, from the luminous blue-green ceramics of the Goryeo dynasty to the Confucian-influenced porcelain of the Joseon dynasty.

Curator Yoojin Kwak Choi identified the 18th-century painting ‘Clearing After Rain on Mount Inwang’ by Jeong Seon as a centerpiece, noting his role in shifting landscape painting toward authentic Korean scenery. The exhibition also features contemporary works, such as a 2018 vase by Yeesookyung, which utilizes ceramic fragments from both North and South Korea.