Likeness and Legacy in Korean Portraiture

FOREWORD
JAY XU
BARBARA BASS BAKAR DIRECTOR
ASIAN ART MUSEUM OF SAN FRANCISCO

I wish to dedicate this publication to the memory of Suno Kay Osterweis, an exceptionally dedicated and beloved trustee and donor at the Asian Art Museum from 1990 to 2018.


Draft portrait of Gwon Hihak, 1751
Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)
Ink on colors on paper.
Likeness and Legacy in Korean Portraiture is the first significant exhibition on Korean portraiture in the United States. It demonstrates that the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco is at the forefront of presenting Korean art of the past and the present. The museum has the longest history— in terms of exhibitions, programs, and research—of presenting Korean art in the United States. The research and interpretation that went into this show and this, its accompanying catalogue, manifest the museum’s leadership in the field. Likeness and Legacy in Korean Portraiture is derived in large part from the museum’s own collection, which is testament to the high quality of the museum’s Korean art. The museum always looks for novel ways to present Korean art and culture, and this show exemplifies our role in the field.

This is the latest in a series of innovative exhibitions of Korean art that the Asian Art Museum has undertaken. This focus began in 1979 with 5000 Years of Korean Art, a landmark exhibition of national treasures organized in conjunction with the National Museum of Korea. Two shows of Korean art — Goryeo Dynasty: Korea’s Age of Enlightenment and Leaning Forward Looking Back: Eight Contemporary Artists from Korea — helped to inaugurate the museum’s 2003 move to its current location in San Francisco’s Civic Center, while In Grand Style: Celebrations in Korean Art during the Joseon Dynasty helped to mark the move’s tenth anniversary in 2013. More recently, the Couture Korea show in 2017–2018, co-organized with Arumjigi Culture Keepers Foundation, celebrated clothing design from Korea’s Joseon dynasty (1392– 1910) and today. Korean art has been an essential component of exhibitions of multicultural contemporary art at the museum, including First Look: Collecting Contemporary at the Asian (2015), Gorgeous (2014), and Phantoms of Asia: Contemporary Awakens the Past (2012).

It is only appropriate that as the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco reaches another milestone in its development with its 2020 transformation this exhibition of Korean art be part of the celebration. Thanks to all who made Likeness and Legacy in Korean Portraiture possible. I am grateful for lead support provided through a gift in memory of Suno Kay Osterweis. Thanks to The Korea Foundation, Sulwhasoo, and Hagen Choi for their generous support of this exhibition. I am enormously thankful for the sustained support of the Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang Endowment Fund for Exhibitions.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
HYONJEONG KIM HAN

For several decades the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco has been a pioneer in promoting Korean art and culture outside of Korea. In 1989 it became the first American museum to appoint a curator dedicated to Korean art. In the same year, the museum established independent galleries solely for Korean art. Over twenty-five years, the museum has presented more than sixteen special exhibitions on Korean art, encompassing various media and themes, from royal objects of the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910) to fashion culture of the past and present.


Draft portrait of Lee Sam, 1751
Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)
Ink on colors on paper.
Likeness and Legacy in Korean Portraiture is an intimate yet powerful exhibition demonstrating the museum’s dedication to Korean art and its devotion to the vision of making Asian art and culture essential to everyone. The exhibition developed from the draft portraits of Bunmu meritorious officials that had been little known in the museum’s study collection until 2010. Thanks to the expertise and insight of Shiho Sasaki, Asian paintings and paper conservator at the museum, the draft portraits—along with other numerous important Korean paintings—are available for display. In collaboration with the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation in Korea, Shiho also has led the organization of a one-week workshop about Joseon portraiture mountings for East Asian painting conservators, taking place at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco in 2020.

This exhibition is interdisciplinary, with the involvement of many talented colleagues in the museum. The educational components in the exhibition and accompanying symposium reflect the creativity and care of our staff members in the Education department: Deborah Clearwaters (director of education and interpretation), Lorraine Goodwin (interpretive media specialist), and Allison Wyckoff (associate director of public and community programs). Although the main themes of the exhibition were derived from traditional portraits created in the Joseon dynasty, it also addresses selfperception and identities through portraiture in the twentyfirst century. For the contemporary art component, I highly value the constructive advice of Marc Mayer, assistant curator of contemporary art and programs. I would like to thank the artists, Do Ho Suh, Yun Suknam, Ahree Lee, and Young June Lew, whose works not only beautifully harmonize with the traditional Joseon-dynasty portraits in the exhibition but also delve deeply into contemporary concerns. I am grateful to colleagues in the Preparation and Registration departments for achieving the complex installation of the exhibition. I thank Peter Cargile, principal museum preparator, for leading his team. Our registrar colleagues Elizabeth (Liz) Aldred, Cynthia Murphy, and Celeste Ohta have ensured successful preparation and installation.

I express my gratitude to lending institutions and collections: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Lehmann Maupin, Gyeonggi Provincial Museum, Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies at Seoul National University Library, Amorepacific Museum of Art, Baekje Military Museum, and Hampyeong Lee Family Collection in Korea. I especially thank Carol Huh, associate curator of contemporary Asian art, and Keith Wilson, curator of ancient Chinese art, at Freer Sackler; Jennifer Mora, director at Lehmann Maupin; Director Kim Sunghwan and Jeong Mi Sook, clothing and textile conservator, at Gyeonggi Provincial Museum; Pyo Su Hui, Gyebaek team leader at Baekje Military Museum; Director Jeon Seungchan, Hyun Moonphil, chief curator, and Pyun Jihye, associate curator at Amorepacfic Museum of Art; Director Lee Hyeon-hie and curator Park Cheonjeong at Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies; and Lee Shinhaeng, the Hampyeong Lee family representative. All of them recognized the importance of the exhibition and have facilitated the significant loans.

The Korean art department has enjoyed working with Clare Jacobson, former head of Publications, in preparing this exhibition catalogue. I respect the meticulosity and passion for the contents demonstrated by Clare and by Kristina Youso, who copy edited the text. I especially thank Publications copy editor Ruth Keffer, who proofread this book and edited the exhibition texts, and head of Publications Nadine Little, who also worked on the exhibition texts. Our appreciation also goes to the essayists of this catalogue: Professor Kyungku Lee at Hallym University in Korea, Dr. Soomi Lee, head of the fine arts division and curator of Korean painting at the National Museum of Korea, and Dr. Robyn Asleson, curator of prints and paintings at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC.

It is my pleasure and honor to work with our exhibition designers Marco Centin and Andy Stacklin. I am especially grateful for Marco’s creative ideas in presenting Korean portraiture in a novel and transformative way. His design is a great artwork itself. The seventh Korea Foundation fellow at the museum, Yaerim Hyun, has suggested valuable comments in reviewing the texts in the exhibition and its catalogue. She has also assisted and participated in every aspect of the exhibition. I am impressed by her devotion to the project and passion for Korean art. Throughout the project, I have been deeply indebted to Shinhwa Koo, curatorial assistant for Korean art, for her devotion and passion, creative input, as well as ability to manage multiple tasks and details. She also contributed four entries and meticulously prepared the bibliography to enrich this valuable book.

The hard work, love for Korean art, and innovative ideas of our exhibition team help our readers and audiences better understand Korean art and culture. The exhibition and publication of Likeness and Legacy in Korean Portraiture, I believe, will enhance the legacy of our museum’s excellence in presenting Asian art.