Exhibition showcases 200 masterworks donated by late Samsung chairman
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington opens its doors Saturday to unveil a landmark exhibition of Korean masterworks collected by the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee. The show is starting one week behind schedule after a US federal government shutdown temporarily closed the museum.
“Korean Treasures: Collected, Cherished, Shared” marks the first time the collections of the late Samsung chairman have traveled outside Korea. It features about 200 objects spanning from ancient times to the contemporary era, ranging from court paintings and Buddhist sculptures to Joseon-era ceramics and modern artworks.
Museum director Chase Robinson described Lee as “a visionary collector” and called the exhibition “a rare opportunity to present American audiences with the richness and depth of Korean art.”
Lee Kun-hee, son of Samsung founder Lee Byung-chul, is widely credited with transforming Samsung from a modest electronics manufacturer into a global technology titan during his 27-year tenure as chairman. He was also an avid art collector who amassed one of the most significant private collections of Korean art.
After Lee’s death in October 2020, his family donated over 23,000 artworks to museums around the country, including 107 nationally designated treasures. The works have since been exhibited at museums across the country, most recently last year when 10 regional museums began showcasing over 2,000 artifacts from the collection.
The Washington exhibition features several standout pieces, including the National Treasure “Inwang jesaekdo” by Joseon-era artist Jeong Seon, a landscape painting that captures Seoul’s Inwangsan after rain. Also featured are blue-and-white porcelain vessels and traditional bookshelf paintings known as chaekgado.
The show was organized in partnership with the National Museum of Korea, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, and the Leeum Museum of Art.
The exhibition runs through Feb. 1, 2026, at the Smithsonian before traveling to Chicago and London.
moonkihoon@heraldcorp.com