Po Kim: In Search of Arcadia

September 21 - December 1, 2017

Po Kim was among the first generation of Korean artists who immigrated to the United States in the 1950s. Instead of committing to any one school, Kim continuously explored various styles and forms, from Abstract Expressionism in the 1950s, to a hyper-realistic idiom in the 1970s, to figurative and allegorical works in the 1990s and 2000s. 

Po Kim’s diverse body of work oscillates between an expressive release of trauma and a yearning for an Arcadian escape, echoing a trajectory of extraordinary events throughout his life. As the first exhibition in the Korea Society's Master Series, Po Kim: In Search of Arcadia presents a selection of works from Kim’s early period in New York within the context of later works from his subsequent stylistic transformations, revealing a progressive journey towards the idyllic safe haven he created in his art and in New York.

Kim’s works have been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions across the U.S., Europe, and Korea, and are held in important public collections including The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Chicago Art Institute, National Museum of Contemporary Art in Korea, and the Seoul Art Center.

This exhibition is presented in collaboration with The Korea Society and The Sylvia Wald & Po Kim Gallery.