October 28, 2023–March 3, 2024

The special exhibition Korea in Color: A Legacy of Auspicious Images sheds light on the use of color in Korean painting—known as polychrome painting (chaesaekhwa)—and its role in Korean art and culture. Featuring contemporary works of art in dialogue with select traditional masterpieces, the fifty works presented in the exhibition highlight the continued influence of color, long overshadowed by painting created in black ink, and span a variety of media, including painting, video, and installation.

Experience the profound power that color has played in Korean life, including warding off evil spirits, attracting good fortune, delivering moral lessons, and documenting significant historical events.

Featuring large-scale works, the exhibition explores the core functions of traditional paintings in daily life and their legacy today: Byeoksa (protection against evil spirits), Gilsang (attraction of good fortune), Gyohun (edification), and Gamsang (appreciation). These themes encompass a range of genres, such as court, religious, documentary, and landscape paintings.

The exhibition is organized by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea.

Featured: Kim Chonghak, Metamorphosed Peony (detail), 2006. Acrylic on canvas. Courtesy of the artist.