Attributed to court painters 화원 추정. Ten Symbols of Longevity 십장생도, Joseon dynasty, 19th century. National Museum of Korea, LKH4053. © National Museum of Korea.

CHICAGO - From 6th-century gilt bronze Buddhist sculpture through Joseon dynasty painting and white porcelain and contemporary paintings of the late 20th century, the works of art in this exhibition demonstrate the artistic legacy produced on the Korean peninsula over millennia.

Once privately held, these artworks now belong to the Korean people thanks to a single groundbreaking gift from the family of Lee Kun-Hee, late chairman of Samsung Group. In 2021 the family donated over 23,000 works to the Korean government for public audiences to study and appreciate in perpetuity. Lee Kun-Hee and his father, Lee Byung-Chull, collected exceptional and storied objects from throughout Korean history as a means of preserving and celebrating the nation’s cultural heritage. This exhibition marks the first time the works are on public display. 

Among the 140 artworks on view—including modern and historical painting, ceramics, and objects made for Buddhist worship and scholarly study—22 are officially recognized as National Treasures or Treasures by the Korean government.

The largest Art Institute exhibition devoted to Korean art in four decades, Korean National Treasures: 2,000 Years of Art charts the ideas, values, and traditions that have shaped the country’s creative production, from the Three Kingdoms period (57 BCE–676 CE) through the 1900s, offering insights into these objects’ rich meanings across centuries.

Korean National Treasures: 2,000 Years of Art is curated by Yeonsoo Chee, Korea Foundation associate curator of Korean art at the Art Institute of Chicago.

This exhibition, drawn from the National Bequest of Lee Kun-Hee’s Collection, is organized by the Art Institute of Chicago, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, the National Museum of Korea, and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea.

Mar 7–Jul 5, 2026

Bodhisattva Triad with a Single Halo 금동보살삼존입상, Three Kingdoms period (57 BCE–676 CE), 6th century, National Museum of Korea, LKH4. © National Museum of Korea. National Treasure

Melon-Shaped Ewer and Basin with Lotus Motif 청자 음각 연꽃무늬 참외모양 주자와 승반 , Goryeo dynasty, 12th century, National Museum of Korea, LKH668. © National Museum of Korea

Bottle with Fish Motif 분청사기 철화 물고기무늬 병, Joseon dynasty, late 15th–early 16th century, National Museum of Korea, LKH932. © National Museum of Korea

The Descent from the Tushita Heaven from Eight Great Events in the Life of Shakyamuni Buddha 도솔래의상 “비람강생상”, Joseon dynasty, late 18th century, Bihyeon 비현 (active mid- to late 18th century) and other monk-painters, National Museum of Korea, LKH3962. © National Museum of Korea

Moon Jar 백자 달항아리, Joseon dynasty, 18th century, National Museum of Korea, LKH1601. © National Museum of Korea

Jar with Cloud and Dragon Motifs 백자 청화 구름 용무늬 항아리, Joseon dynasty, 18th century, National Museum of Korea, LKH1546. © National Museum of Korea

Portrait of Kwon Sangha 권상하 초상, Joseon dynasty, late 18th–early 19th century, Yi Myeonggi 이명기 (1756–before 1813). National Museum of Korea, LKH3590. © National Museum of Korea

Flute 피리, 1956, Park Rehyun 박래현 (1920–1976), National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, KO-09405. © National Museum of Korea

Echo 19-II-73#307 산울림 19–II–73#307, 1973, Kim Whanki 김환기 (1913–1974). National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, PA-09282. © Whanki Foundation, Whanki Museum

Tripitaka Bodhisattvas 삼장보살도, Joseon dynasty, 18th century, Minhui 민희 (active early to mid-18th century) and other monk-painters. National Museum of Korea, LKH3965. © National Museum of Korea

Attributed to court painters 화원 추정. Ten Symbols of Longevity 십장생도, Joseon dynasty, 19th century. National Museum of Korea, LKH4053. © National Museum of Korea.

Horses 군마, 1955, Kim Kichang 김기창 (1914–2001), National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, KO-09180. © National Museum of Korea

Paradise 낙원, about 1936, Paik Namsoon 백남순 (1904–1994), National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, PA-09481. © National Museum of Korea