July 6th will be an exciting day for South Korean Artists. It marks the start of the first Korean Art London (“KAL”) Artists Fair. The event will take place over a period of 17 days (6 – 22 July) and will hosted by Mall Galleries, in the heart of London’s West End.
This will be the first in a series of annual KAL fairs and will showcase 30 + contemporary South Korean artists, with each being given a solo booth to present their works. This fair has been carefully and thoughtfully arranged under the steady care of gallerist Rok Hee Hwang (CEO of Mews Gallery in Gangwon-do), alongside her team of three experienced curators. Together, their mission is to showcase the visual arts of Korea to a world-wide audience, building on the success of pop-up shows held in London’s Notting Hill last year.
The featured artists are emerging talents and the works being showcased range from drawings to sculptures. Each carefully selected artist stands out on their own merits and creative ideals. The works are diverse and unique, and it is easy to see why they have captured the attention of the curators. A few weeks ago I reached out to Rok Hee Hwang to learn more about her and the upcoming exhibition, which I’m really excited to attend.
Rok Hee Hwang: Self Introduction
I love London, having visited it many times and enjoyed its world-class arts offering, and plan to settle here. I run Mews Gallery in South Korea and organizing exhibitions is what I do best, so, with my long-term future in mind, it made sense to establish an event that promoted my country’s visual art; something that would create a legacy. Korean Art London 2023 (KAL) is the inaugural showcase, the first in a series to be held at Mall Galleries.
I’m really looking forward to attending the Fair in July. Can you tell me a little bit more about Korean Art London and waht we can expeect?
As an artists’ fair that showcases the best Korean contemporary visual arts, KAL meets the demand created by the world’s growing fascination with South Korean culture. KAL 2023 will be held over three weeks across Mall Galleries’ three interconnecting ground-floor exhibition spaces. It is a centrally located gallery with a distinguished reputation. In tandem with the Mall Galleries showcase, a selection of the artists will also exhibit at Aleph Contemporary and J/M Gallery.
I aim to reach out to the UK’s Korean diaspora and hope that the exhibition will be enjoyed by people of all nationalities and ages. I am offering a range 30+ artists work, so that collecting Korean art is open to everyone. Prices range from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds.
I selected the 30+ artists through an Open Call, followed up by studio visits and interviews. Many of them didn’t have gallery representation.
Modern Korean art began in the 1900s and it has been much written about. Less is known about the country’s contemporary art. My artists are currently active and range in age from twenty-something to fifty-something. What they have in common is an appreciation of the history of Korean arts and crafts, with many of them continuing its ancient traditions and craft skills as they adapt and reinterpret them for the present day.
London’s art market is known as demanding; it has high standards, so it will be interesting to see how it responds to my stable of artists at KAL. Most of them have never exhibited outside of South Korea; by providing a platform in one of the world’s major art hubs, I aim to not just showcase the variety and world-class quality of Korean contemporary art, but to jump-start their international careers.
Through KAL, visitors are given the chance to experience a uniquely South Korean sensibility; one with an appreciation of its past as well as its famously future-facing digital present.
The future
KAL 2023 is unique and the first of its kind. It is partnered with other Korean organizations in London, and I aim to develop KAL into a city-wide celebration in future years.
After KAL 2023, I am opening a London gallery, and will be taking my artists to UK art fairs. I belong to the Federation of Artistic & Cultural Organisation of Gang Neung. My hometown is Gang Neung, and the current chairman of the Federation is making great efforts to develop it into a world-class city of culture. Eventually, I’d like to introduce UK artists to Gang Neung.
Background
I spent time at school in New Zealand and have always lived back and forth between South Korea and other countries, so I feel very international and don’t wholly relate to Korean society. This gives me a unique insight into the Korean art market; I think it’s a more objective view. I’ve noticed that, comparatively, Korea’s market has an overly commercial approach to displaying art; the quality of the work is not a priority. That’s not a way of doing business I am interested in.
I was exposed to a lot of art as a child and, as I got older, I understood that art is a very important part of me. Personally, I find its expressive qualities healing, so I have a deep respect for the role of the artist in society and the work they make, beyond its economic potential.
I studied hotel management, initially, which went on to be incredibly useful when running a gallery and planning exhibitions. I started with a small venue – Mews Gallery – in Gang Neung, choosing to show Korean contemporary artists that resonated with me on a personal level.
This may be a more difficult question to answer, given the quality of the work involved but is there a standout artist to you? Or perhaps an artist, not necessarily part of the exhibition, that you are particularly fond of that we should keep an eye out for?
Of course, I love the work of all the artists I’ve selected to participate in KAL23; they chime with the different ideas and feelings I have. But, there are two that I would like to highlight:
Joo Eun Chung has exhibited widely in South Korea and, as a professional artist-printmaker, has devoted her life to the study of Goguryeo. Her work is very contemporary, but it has historical depth, and is very beautiful, too. I hope it gives KAL’s younger audience, and other visitors who perhaps aren’t so familiar with Korea’s ancient arts and crafts, the opportunity to broaden their knowledge of the culture.
Another artist I would like to mention is Sang Woon Nam. The technical skill and precision he demonstrates, as well as his sheer dedication, is exceptional. Whenever I hang his work I’m always super cautious because I understand the years of work and devotion that has gone into them.
You’ve chosen some really incredible curators to work with as part of this artist fair. Are you able to share with us how this relationship came about, and what it has been like working with them?
Lead Curator Hyun Jung Ahn (Genie Ahn) is an old friend of mine; we have always discussed art and the art world. I have learned a lot from her.
I worked with Vittoria Beltrame, one of the two junior curators, when I did my first overseas exhibition last year. She’s young, but she has practical experience as a curator in London and, most importantly, she has lots of enthusiasm and works hard. I wanted to work with her again.
Seulki Yoo, the other junior curator, has a passion for art that really impressed me. I like to work with experienced people, but I also see the value in up-and-coming curators who inject energy and drive into a project.
Plus, I think that sincerity and empathy are important qualities. I’m a rookie in London, so it’s imperative that I have a team I can trust and enjoy working with.
‘Modern technologies have vastly shifted cultural traditions in South Korea, yet a longing for identity and practice of culture remains. The artists bring their experiences of South Korean culture and tradition into a postmodern world, yet they enjoy reproducing and reconstituting Korean Masters’ techniques through their work.’
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