From Brushstrokes to Light and Media: Connecting the Past and Present of Korean Art

KCCLA Presents ‘Southern Korea, A Space of Lines’, October 28 ~December 2, 2026

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, October 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ —

The Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles (KCCLA, Director Haedon Lee), in collaboration with Horanggasi Creative Studio (Director Heonki Jeong), will present Southern Korea, A Space of Lines, a special exhibition opening on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the KCCLA Art Gallery on the second floor.

Under the theme Beyond Time, Tradition Becomes Contemporary Art, the exhibition explores how the artistic traditions of Korea’s Honam region have been preserved, reinterpreted, and expanded into contemporary art through changing times, artistic practices, and media.

The Honam region has long been celebrated as a center of artistic and cultural heritage, with a rich tradition of Korean painting and calligraphy. Through the lineage of literati painting and Southern School painting associated with artists such as Yun Du-seo, Kim Jeong-hui, Heo Ryeon, and Heo Baek-ryeon, the aesthetics of line, ink, negative space, and restraint developed into a distinctive visual language that expressed not only the appearance of nature but also the artist’s inner thoughts and spirit.

Rather than presenting these traditions as artistic styles confined to the past, the exhibition highlights their continued relevance and evolution. It presents them as a living artistic tradition, tracing how the spirit and visual sensibilities of traditional ink painting have developed through modern Korean art and expanded into diverse contemporary forms, including painting, installation, video, media art, and digital technologies.

Featuring 25 works by leading modern and contemporary artists from the Honam region, including Heo Baek-ryeon, Oh Ji-ho, and Cho Bang-won, the exhibition offers a rare opportunity to encounter works by established masters alongside those of contemporary artists. By bringing together artworks from different generations and across diverse media, the exhibition reveals how the region’s artistic traditions and aesthetics have been continually transformed and reinterpreted over time.

The exhibition’s title, A Space of Lines, reflects the concept of the “line” as both a visual element and a thread connecting past and present. Lines and negative spaces once expressed through brush and ink find new forms in contemporary works through light, imagery, spatial expression, and digital media. As brushstrokes transform into flows of light and data, a new “space of lines” emerges.

A series of special programs will accompany the exhibition’s opening. On Wednesday, October 28, at 5:00 PM, prior to the opening reception, Jiho Lee, Director of the Jeonnam Museum of Art, will present a special lecture, followed by a performance by the Jang Cheon-ha Performing Arts Group from Nam-gu, Gwangju.

Exhibition curator Heonki Jeong and participating artists Han Hee-won, Lee Lee-nam, Park So-bin, and Ji Oh are scheduled to attend the opening reception. On Thursday, October 29, at 6:00 PM, an Artist Talk will offer visitors an opportunity to hear directly from the participating artists about their creative processes and artistic practices.

“This exhibition is particularly meaningful because it presents tradition not as a relic of the past, but as a living artistic resource, reimagined through the unique perspectives and diverse media of contemporary artists,” said Haedon Lee, Director of KCCLA. “We hope visitors in Los Angeles will have the opportunity to experience both the roots of Korean art and its contemporary possibilities, while fostering meaningful exchanges of cultural and artistic perspectives.”

Exhibition curator Heonki Jeong added, “This exhibition approaches the ‘line’ not only as a visual element, but also as a passage through time connecting the past and present. We wanted to show how the aesthetics of line and negative space, traditionally expressed through brush and ink, continue to evolve into a contemporary artistic language through new media such as light, imagery, and digital technology.”

Southern Korea, A Space of Lines will be on view from October 28 through December 2, 2026, at the Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles. Admission is free and open to the public. /End/

Exhibition Information
– Title: Southern Korea, A Space of Lines
– Date: October 28(Wednesday) – December 2(Wednesday), 2026
– Opening Reception: Wednesday, October 28, 2026 / 6:00PM-8:00PM
* Special Lecture & Performance: Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at 5:00 PM
– Gallery Open Hour: Monday – Friday, 10:00AM-5:00PM, Saturday, 9:00AM-1:00PM
– Location: KCCLA Art Gallery (2nd Floor) / 5505 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90036
– Presenter: Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles(KCCLA)
– Co-Organizers: Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles, Horanggasi Creative Studio
– Supporters: Gwangju Metropolitan City, Arts Council Korea, Gwangju Nam-gu Office, KAFA
– Co-Organizers: Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles, Horanggasi Creative Studio
– In Collaboration with: Jeonnam Museum of Art

Featured Artists
HEO Baek-ryeon, OH Ji-ho, CHO Bang-won, HAN Hee-won, CHOI Seok-hyun, KIM Sun-doo, YOON Nam-woong, KIM Sang-yeon, LEE Lee-nam, PARK So-bin, LEE Jeong-rok, JEONG Hae-na, Haru.K, Seol PARK, Berlin Project(Sound Art), Ji OH

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Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles
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