CHICAGO—The Art Institute of Chicago is pleased to announce Korean National Treasures: 2,000 Years of Art. On view March 7 through July 5, 2026, this will be the largest Art Institute exhibition devoted to Korean art in four decades. The expansive exhibition will showcase 140 works—including modern and historical painting, ceramics, and objects made for Buddhist worship and scholarly study—22 of which are officially recognized as National Treasures or Treasures by the Korean government.
The objects in the exhibition are recognized as remarkable examples of their type and distinguished for their exceptional historic, artistic, and academic value. From a 6th-century gilt bronze Buddhist sculpture to Joseon dynasty paintings to 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.
“The Lee Kun-Hee Collection is not biased toward a specific period or genre, but evenly encompasses the essence of Korean art history from the Three Kingdoms period to the modern era,” said Yeonsoo Chee, Korea Foundation associate curator of Korean art at the Art Institute of Chicago. “By encountering the depth and diversity of Korean art across millennia, visitors will experience the accumulated cultural richness and artistic creativity that have evolved into the dynamism of Korean art and culture today,” she said.
The exhibition 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.