Korean National Treasures: 2000 Years of Art

An epic journey through the world of Korean art, ranging from the first century BCE to the mid-twentieth century

The 150 artworks showcased in this elegant book represent the vast and varied traditions and the extraordinary range of media encompassed in the Korean art world. The objects--which include paintings, sculptures, ceramics, books, and scrolls--have, with one exception, never been published or exhibited outside Korea, and over twenty of them have been designated as National Treasures under the Korean Cultural Heritage Administration. Serving as a comprehensive introduction to Korean art, the book includes essays by renowned experts in the United States and in Korea that explore key subjects, from secular Joseon-period paintings to Buddhist art, ceramics, and modern painting. The featured works are all part of the diverse Lee Kun-Hee Collection, one of the largest and most impressive private art collections ever assembled in Korea, which was donated to the state in 2021 in order to share with the public the depth and diversity of Korean artistic traditions.

Distributed for the Art Institute of Chicago

Exhibition schedule:

National Museum of Asian Art, Washington DC
(November 8, 2025-February 1, 2026)

The Art Institute of Chicago
(March 7-July 5, 2026)

Yeonsoo Chee is associate curator of Korean art at the Art Institute of Chicago.