KCCLA to open Korean art exhibition blending tradition and new media

The Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles will open Southern Korea, A Space of Lines on Oct. 28 at its Art Gallery, with works spanning painting, installation, video and digital media. The exhibition looks at how Honam region art traditions have evolved into contemporary practice and will run through Dec. 2 with free admission.

Why it matters: - Southern Korea, A Space of Lines frames Korean ink traditions as a living artistic language, not a historical artifact. - The show links classic brush-and-ink aesthetics to contemporary media art, giving Los Angeles visitors a direct view of how Korean regional art has evolved. - The exhibition is free and open to the public, expanding access to a broad audience.

What happened: - The Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles and Horanggasi Creative Studio will open Southern Korea, A Space of Lines on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, at 6 p.m. in the KCCLA Art Gallery on the second floor. - The exhibition will run through Dec. 2, 2026, at 5505 Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles. - KCCLA will present the show under the theme “Beyond Time, Tradition Becomes Contemporary Art.” - The exhibition focuses on the Honam region of Korea and its artistic heritage in painting and calligraphy.

The details: - The exhibition features 25 works by modern and contemporary artists from the Honam region. - Featured artists include Heo Baek-ryeon, Oh Ji-ho and Cho Bang-won, along with other artists working across generations and media. - The show traces a lineage of literati painting and Southern School painting connected to artists such as Yun Du-seo, Kim Jeong-hui, Heo Ryeon and Heo Baek-ryeon. - The curatorial concept emphasizes line, ink, negative space and restraint as defining elements of the region’s visual language. - The exhibition expands those ideas into painting, installation, video, media art and digital technologies. - The title, A Space of Lines, treats the line as both a visual element and a bridge between past and present. - Brushstrokes and negative space appear again in contemporary works through light, imagery, spatial expression and digital media. - KCCLA will also host a special lecture at 5 p.m. on Oct. 28, before the opening reception. - Jiho Lee, director of the Jeonnam Museum of Art, will give the lecture. - The Jang Cheon-ha Performing Arts Group from Nam-gu, Gwangju, will follow with a performance. - An artist talk is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 29, at 6 p.m. - Curator Heonki Jeong and participating artists Han Hee-won, Lee Lee-nam, Park So-bin and Ji Oh are expected to attend the opening reception. - Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Admission is free. - Supporters include Gwangju Metropolitan City, Arts Council Korea, Gwangju Nam-gu Office and KAFA. - The exhibition is in collaboration with the Jeonnam Museum of Art. - More information is available through KCCLA’s social channels, Facebook, YouTube and X.

Between the lines: - The exhibition positions regional Korean art as a continuum, showing how older forms can be reinterpreted without losing their identity. - By pairing established masters with contemporary artists, KCCLA is making an argument about artistic inheritance across generations. - The focus on light and digital media suggests a broader effort to translate traditional Korean aesthetics into formats that resonate with modern audiences.

What's next: - Visitors can attend the opening reception on Oct. 28 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. - The exhibition will remain on view until Dec. 2, giving the public more than a month to see the work. - The lecture and artist talk will add context for viewers interested in the region’s art history and contemporary reinterpretations.

The bottom line: - Southern Korea, A Space of Lines uses one region’s artistic heritage to show how Korean tradition continues to evolve through new forms, new media and new audiences.