The Artists and Curator Behind ATO – Beautiful Gift
Meet the six renowned Korean artists and curator Kim Hee Seon behind ATO: Beautiful Gift, a major art exhibition in New York spotlighting innovation, legacy, and cross-cultural storytelling.
At the heart of the exhibition is a rare convergence of six influential Korean artists, guided by the vision of actress-turned-curator Kim Hee Seon. Together, they have created an exhibition that speaks not only through aesthetics, but through heritage, innovation, and human connection.
Kim Hee Seon – From Screen Icon to Cultural Curator
For over two decades, Kim Hee Seon has been a beloved figure in Korean and Chinese television and film, known for her iconic roles in dramas such as Faith, Angry Mom, and Alice. Her beauty, charisma, and emotional depth have made her a household name across Asia but outside of acting, Kim has also long been an advocate for the arts.
A graduate of Chung-Ang University’s Department of Theater and Film, she’s always maintained a deep appreciation for visual art. ATO: Beautiful Gift marks her first large-scale curatorial project, and she approached it with the same dedication and sincerity that defined her acting career. Through personal studio visits and long conversations with each artist, Kim shaped the show as both a tribute to Korean creative legacy and a cultural bridge between East and West.
Her role as content director adds a personal layer to the exhibition: this is not just a collection of artworks—it’s a reflection of her belief that art can connect generations, cultures, and perspectives.
Park Seo-Bo (1931–2023) – The Founding Father of Korean Contemporary Art
Few names in Korean modern art carry as much weight as Park Seo-Bo. Often hailed as the father of the Dansaekhwa (monochrome painting) movement, Park’s “Ecriture” series redefined minimalism through meditative repetition, Korean hanji paper, and quiet spiritual discipline.
Though he passed away in 2023, Park’s legacy lives on through institutions such as the Guggenheim, the Tate, and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Korea, where his works are held in permanent collections. He received numerous honors throughout his life, including the Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit, Korea’s highest cultural award.
His presence in ATO gives the exhibition historical gravity—a way to remember a master who helped shape an entire movement.
Lee Ufan – The Global Philosopher of Form and Space
Lee Ufan stands at the intersection of Korean Dansaekhwa and Japanese Mono-ha, and is internationally celebrated for his quiet, powerful approach to material and space. Born in South Korea and later educated in Japan, Lee studied philosophy before turning to art—something that continues to influence his practice.
His works, exhibited at the Guggenheim Museum, Centre Pompidou, and the Venice Biennale, are known for their restraint: a brushstroke here, a stone there. But that restraint holds incredible depth. Lee’s work is about presence, absence, and the relationship between objects and viewers.
He is also a celebrated academic and writer, having taught at Tama Art University in Tokyo and published numerous books on aesthetics and phenomenology.
Park Suk Won – Sculpting the Essence of Nature
Park Suk Won is a deeply respected figure in Korean sculpture, known for his “Jik” series, which uses stacking, layering, and repetition to explore the relationship between human intention and natural material. A graduate of Hongik University, Park draws on both Eastern and Western sculptural traditions while remaining grounded in Korean philosophy.
His work has been featured in the Busan Biennale and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, and he has received multiple awards, including the Korean Artist Prize. Park’s pieces in ATO emphasize balance and organic evolution, acting as quiet meditations on space and time.
Kim Kang Yong – Textures of Memory and Community
Kim Kang Yong takes hyperrealism to new territory by working with unconventional materials like sand, soil, and rice husks to create highly detailed surfaces. A graduate of Hongik University, he explores the intersection of urban environments and collective memory, often depicting rooftops, walls, and other overlooked spaces in ways that feel tactile and emotionally charged.
His work has been exhibited at major Korean institutions including the Hangaram Art Museum and the Seoul Museum of Art, and he has been recognized for blurring the line between painting and sculpture—offering a new visual language rooted in place, texture, and the passage of time.
Kang Hyung Koo – Hyperrealism with Soul
Internationally acclaimed for his larger-than-life portraits, Kang Hyung Koo creates works that feel like photographs at first glance—but upon closer inspection, reveal layered emotional complexity. Whether painting cultural icons like Marilyn Monroe or anonymous faces, Kang captures time, memory, and psychological depth through meticulous detail.
Educated at Seoul National University and with exhibitions held at the National Portrait Gallery, the Seoul Museum of Art, and galleries across Europe and the U.S., Kang is widely considered a master of contemporary portraiture. His subjects often gaze directly at the viewer, asking not to be seen, but to be understood.
Lee Lee Nam – Bridging Centuries Through Technology
A protégé of media art pioneer Nam June Paik, Lee Lee Nam brings digital innovation to traditional art forms. With degrees in sculpture and digital media from Chosun University and Hongik University, Lee creates animated reinterpretations of classical Korean and Western paintings, infusing them with motion, light, and sound.
His work has been featured at the Venice Biennale, UNESCO exhibitions, and the National Museum of Korea, and he has become a leading figure in digital media art across Asia. Lee’s pieces in ATO pulse with energy—breathing new life into still images and showing how technology can expand, rather than erase, cultural memory.
Together, these six artists represent decades of innovation, evolution, and resilience in Korean contemporary art. Through sculpture, painting, media, and philosophy, they embody a full spectrum of Korean expression—rooted in tradition, yet alive with experimentation.
