Jun, 11, 2026
Exhibitions and Special InstallationsAsian ArtSpecial InstallationsMedia Alerts
New exhibition at Phoenix Art Museum showcases works by renowned Korean painter Kim Chong Hak
Kim Chong Hak, Painter of Seoraksan introduces the work of prolific artist to Southwest audiences
PHOENIX (June 11, 2026) – This fall, Phoenix Art Museum (PhxArt) presents Kim Chong Hak, Painter of Seoraksan, the first exhibition of works by the South Korean master painter Kim Chong Hak in Arizona. The exhibition features more than 80 paintings, drawings, and sketches that span the arc of Kim’s long career, highlighting an aspect of Korean art from the late 20th century that is little known outside of South Korea. Kim Chong Hak, Painter of Seoraksan will be on view in Steele Gallery from September 9, 2026 through February 21, 2027.
“Kim Chong Hak, Painter of Seoraksan exemplifies the Museum’s commitment to presenting global artists whose work deepens cultural understanding and dialogue,” said Jeremy Mikolajczak, the Sybil Harrington Director and CEO of Phoenix Art Museum. “Through Kim’s expressive interpretations of the Korean landscape, visitors will get the opportunity to view works from an artist who bridges Asian artistic traditions and Western painting while offering a powerful reflection on nature, heritage, and individual expression.”
Born in 1937 in Sinuiju, Korea, Kim Chong Hak first worked as an abstract painter in the 1960s before rejecting Western-style abstraction, which he viewed as a response to national melancholy shaped by decades of hardship and deprivation. Kim lived through multiple conflicts and periods of profound social change, including the Japanese colonization of Korea (1910–45), the division of North and South Korea in 1948, the Korean War (1950–53), the turbulent democratic movements of the 1970s and 1980s, and ongoing tensions between North and South Korea.
In the late 1970s, Kim settled in Gangwon Province in eastern South Korea, home to Mount Seorak in the Taebaek mountain range. In self-imposed isolation on the mountain, he sought an alternative artistic discourse, moving away from the monochromatic painting styles prevalent in Korea at the time and toward his own unabashedly expressive approach. In addition to his own work, Kim holds a vast collection of Korean folk art, reflecting his distinctive approach to the reclamation and celebration of Korean cultural heritage. By exploring the Korean landscape, nationhood, and diverse artistic, spiritual, and philosophical traditions, Kim has carved his own expressive path, transcending the boundaries of Korean history and connecting with U.S. audiences.
Organized by the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Kim Chong Hak, Painter of Seoraksan features works spanning the arc of the artist’s long career, introducing an aspect of late 20th-century Korean art that remains little known outside of South Korea. The exhibition includes drawings and sketchbooks from the 1970s to the present, as well as recent botanical studies on Korean hanji paper made from mulberry bark, alongside an introductory biographical video by award-winning filmmakers Jung Dawoon and Kim Jongshin of Giraffe Pictures.
“Kim Chong Hak’s work grows out of an intense, lived relationship with Seoraksan and the changing seasons,” said Colin Pearson, the Museum’s Curator of Asian Art. “Through years of self‑imposed isolation on the mountain, Kim developed an attunement to the landscape that is both physical and spiritual. His vibrant, expressive drawings and studies capture the wildness and vitality of nature while weaving together older Asian landscape traditions, Western-style painting, and influences drawn from Korean folk art. As visitors move through the exhibition, they experience how Kim uses this approach to reclaim and celebrate his cultural heritage.”
For high-resolution photography for Kim Chong Hak, Painter of Seoraksan click here. Torequest interviews, contact the Communications Office of Phoenix Art Museum at press@phxart.org and kaylee.weyrauch@phxart.org.
About the Exhibition
Kim Chong Hak, Painter of Seoraksan is organized by the High Museum of Art, Atlanta. Its presentation at Phoenix Art Museum is coordinated by Colin Pearson, Curator of Asian Art. Kim Chong Hak, Painter of Seoraksan is made possible by the generous support of Hyunsook Jeanne Sours. In-kind support provided by Kimpton Hotel Palomar Phoenix.
Contemporary art exhibitions and projects are made possible in part by the Rob Walton, Jordan Rose, and Rose Law Group Fund for Contemporary Art. All exhibitions at Phoenix Art Museum are underwritten by the Phoenix Art Museum Exhibition Excellence Fund, founded by The Opatrny Family Foundation with additional major support provided by Joan Cremin.
Admission is free for Museum Members and youth aged 5 and younger. Entrance into the exhibition is included in general admission for the public. Visitors may also enjoy reduced admission to the exhibition during voluntary-donation times on Wednesdays from 3 – 8 pm, made possible by SRP and City of Phoenix, with additional support from Arizona Community Foundation. For a full breakdown of general admission prices and hours, see phxart.org/visit/.
About Phoenix Art Museum
Since 1959, Phoenix Art Museum (PhxArt) has engaged millions of visitors with the art and fashion of our region and world. Located in Phoenix’s Central Corridor, PhxArt creates spaces of exchange and belonging for all audiences through dynamic exhibitions, collections, and art experiences. Each year, more than 250,000 guests engage with critically acclaimed national and international exhibitions, as well as the Museum’s collection of more than 21,000 works of American and Western American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern, and contemporary art and fashion. The Museum also presents vibrant photography exhibitions made possible through the Museum’s landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona in Tucson and is home to The Gene and Cathy Lemon Art Research Library, The Thorne Miniature Rooms, The Ullman Center for the Art of Philip C. Curtis, and Arizona Costume Institute (ACI). For the community, PhxArt hosts lectures, live performances, outstanding examples of global cinema, arts-education workshops, family-focused programs, and more. To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit phxart.org, or call 602.257.1880.
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