Months-long exhibition in Seoul showcases over 170 works by abstract art pioneer
by Yoo Na-hyunPosted : May 19, 2026, 16:15Updated : May 19, 2026, 16:28
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Visitors look at works on display at a retrospective exhibition of artist Yoo Youngkuk at the Seoul Museum of Art in central Seoul on May 19, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
SEOUL, May 19 (AJP) - A retrospective exhibition honoring Yoo Youngkuk, a pioneer of South Korea's experimental abstract art, opened in Seoul on Tuesday, offering a rare opportunity to appreciate his works over his six-decade career.
Marking the 110th anniversary of Yoo's birth, the exhibition at the Seoul Museum of Art in central Seoul runs until late October as part of the museum's first series featuring major South Korean modern artists.
A visitor takes a picture at a retrospective exhibition of artist Yoo Youngkuk at the Seoul Museum of Art in central Seoul on May 19, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
Visitors look at works on display at a retrospective exhibition of artist Yoo Youngkuk at the Seoul Museum of Art in central Seoul on May 19, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
The exhibition features more than 170 works including 115 oil paintings, drawings, sculptures, and photographs, spanning Yoo's life from 1916 to 2002. Fifteen previously unreleased works are also on display.
It traces Yoo's artistic journey from his early study of abstract art in Japan in 1937 to his final paintings in 1999. It includes his bold geometric works from the 1960s through the 1980s as well as his later pieces, where sharp angles give way to softer, more lyrical interpretations of nature.
Visitors look at works on display at a retrospective exhibition of artist Yoo Youngkuk at the Seoul Museum of Art in central Seoul on May 19, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
Visitors look at works on display at a retrospective exhibition of artist Yoo Youngkuk at the Seoul Museum of Art in central Seoul on May 19, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
Widely regarded as the country's pioneer of abstract painting, Yoo drew inspiration from the mountains and other natural landscapes of his hometown of Uljin in North Gyeongsang Province. Using vivid colors and bold, simplified geometric forms, he developed a distinctive visual language rooted in nature.
A visitor looks at works on display at a retrospective exhibition of artist Yoo Youngkuk at the Seoul Museum of Art in central Seoul on May 19, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
Visitors look at works on display at a retrospective exhibition of artist Yoo Youngkuk at the Seoul Museum of Art in central Seoul on May 19, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
In particular, mountains became a major theme in Yoo's work, but he never painted them as they appeared. Instead, he used abstract shapes and colors to convey the feeling and energy of the natural landscape.
The exhibition, which runs until Oct. 25, also includes works reportedly collected by RM, the leader of K-pop group BTS.
