Lee Kun-hee Collection Effect

by So-young Moon, Culture & Lifestyle Editor for Joongang Sunday

What is the so-called ‘Lee Kun-hee Collection’? Why was it able to garner so much attention? 

It is much more accurate to call it the ‘Lee Byung-chul, Lee Kun-hee, Hong Ra-hee Collection’ rather than the ‘Lee Kun-hee Collection’. Chairman Lee Byung-chul, the father of the late Chairman Lee Kun-hee and founder of Samsung, had a great interest in old Korean art and collected numerous. In 1982, he opened the Hoam Museum of Art so that people could enjoy them together.

The reason why the Hoam Museum of Art has great significance is because it broke the preconceptions about Korean Buddhist art. Many people think that Korean Buddhist art is plain and simple, but this is more of a characteristic of the Joseon period’s Buddhist art. In contrast, Goryeo Buddhist art is very elaborate, delicate, and colorful. However, during the Joseon Dynasty, Buddhism was neglected due to the culture of Confucianism, and much of the Buddhist art that had been passed down until then ended up in Japan. Then, in 1979, a Goryeo culture exhibition was held in Japan, and several Korean Buddhist art pieces were put up for auction. Though there was a guideline that Koreans could not participate in the auction due to the widespread anti-Korean sentiment at the time, Chairman Lee Byung-chul asked a foreigner who worked at Samsung in the U.S. to participate in the auction, and thanks to this, several works were able to be imported  back to Korea. .

Chairman Lee Kun-hee, who was influenced by his father Lee Byeong-chul, was interested in not only old Korean art but also modern art and purchased a lot of works from the early 20th century, and Director Hong Ra-hee also had a lot of knowledge about the latest trends in contemporary art and Western art. As a result, the Samsung family collection encompassing various eras and trends was created, and the Leeum Museum of Art, built together by several architectural masters, was opened as there were too many works for the Hoam Museum of Art to accommodate them all.

In April 2021, with the death of Chairman Lee Kun-hee, the donated art pieces received great public attention as it was an unprecedented event in Korean history. The total number of donated works is approximately 23,000, mostly old Korean art and artifacts, with books accounting for a large portion. The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art now owns 1,488 works of the donated art, and pieces have been donated to other national and public art museums. However, at the time, the donation caused conflict between the Korean art world and the political world. While the family and the art community wanted to distribute the artworks to various museums for display, the government insisted that a new art museum be built to commemorate the donation. However, as I (Moon So-young) also wrote about this at the time, although it has great historical value, Korean art is not as famous as K-pop, and since about 5,000 of the donated items are books, I have doubts about whether this collection will have much of a tourist effect.

Among the works of art donated to the National Museum of Korea, one of the most significant works is the Inwangjesaekdo (Clearing after Rain on Mount Inwang), which depicts the scenery of Mount Inwang after a rain. The reason why < Inwangjesaekdo > has great significance is that at the time, when people drew Korean ink-and-wash landscape paintings, many idealized conceptual landscapes rather than actual landscapes. However, the painting is unique in that it depicts Inwangsan Mountain, which is a mountain that can just be seen in the neighborhood, where the actual terrain can be seen in detail. Inwangsan Mountain is also a place where the ill-fated Grand Prince Anpyeong, enjoyed spending time.

Next is <Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara (Figure of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara with 1,000 Hands)>. These Korean Buddhist Art Paintings were created during the Goryeo Dynasty. Over a thousand years have passed and they were usually rolled up and stored in temples, so the paintings are not in very good condition. If you look at < Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara > you can see a Bodhisattva with many hands showing mercy. It is said that many people made wishes to this Bodhisattva.

<Seokbosangjeol (Episodes from the Life of Shakyamuni Buddha)> was published to test the effectiveness of Hangul, a newly created writing system during the Joseon Dynasty. The <Horn-Shaped Cup> is made of clay from the Three Kingdoms period in the 5th and 6th centuries, and the <Ritual Bells Presumably from Deoksan>, made with great casting technology, is assumed to be a tool used in rituals by powerful priests during the Iron Age.

Now, let’s look at the modern art works donated to the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. As part of the Lee Kun-hee Collection, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art received several donated works by great Korean art artists, including Kim Whan-ki, Park Soo-keun, Lee Jung-seob, and Yoo Young-guk. This also includes works by painter Paik Nam-soon. Paik Nam-soon, a female painter who focused on Western painting in the early 20th century, is considered one of Korea's major female artists along with Na Hye-sok, who was renowned as a contemporary feminist writer. ‘Paradise’, a work from her prime era, is in the form of a folding screen and captures the Eastern paradise that reminds us of the Western Arcadian tradition. Her husband also graduated from Yale University's College of Fine Arts, where Lee Jung-seob studied, and the two were a famous artist couple.

Next is <Bull> by Lee Jung-seob, Korea's most loved artist. Lee Jung-seob believed that bulls were the most Korean subject matter that could most clearly reveal Korea's identity under Japanese colonial rule, and he painted many bulls using Western painting techniques. Lee Jung-seob's personal life is marked by economic poverty and love for his family, touching the hearts of people even today. 

This is Park Soo-keun’s <A Woman Pounding Grain>. Park Soo-keun was recognized only after his death because he was self-taught in art. At the time, in Korea, which was going through a dark period after the Korean War, it was very easy to find women giving birth, working with a mortar, or working as a street vendor. Park Soo-keun, who had previously expressed his desire to portray good people around him, used the granite technique to depict their difficult lives.

Next, we introduce Kim Whan-ki's <Women and Jars>, painted using a semi-abstract technique. Kim Hwan-gi showed great affection for moon jars during his lifetime, and he collected them and painted many in his paintings. He devoted himself to painting, and thus the all-over painting, known as his signature painting of the 1970s, was born.

Yoo Young-guk’s work is also worth noting. He participated in the abstract painting movement with Kim Whan-ki and painted many mountains.

Due to the excessive concentration in Seoul, national and public art museums located in rural areas of Korea are in a poor situation in terms of collection quality, curatorial staff, lighting, and facilities. However, through this donation of Lee Kun-hee's collection, a traveling exhibition was held, achieving an unprecedented record number of visitors in museums all around Korea, achieving regional promotional effects. This donation had a tremendous impact on Korean art culture.

Q&A

Q1. Exactly how many works do Lee Byung-chul, Lee Kun-hee, and Hong Ra-hee have?

A1. We don't know exactly. The number of donated works is approximately 21,600, but some predict that the remaining art collection will be even larger. However, only about seven works by famous Western artists were donated, and even those cannot be considered very famous works.

Q2. How long will the exhibition last?

A2. It is probably almost done. I understand that the local tour has ended, but you can always enjoy it as part of Lee Kun-hee's collection at the Leeum Museum of Art.

Q3. Are there any companies in the Korean business world that have collections as great as Lee Kun-hee’s?

A3. Amore Pacific Museum of Art is well known for exhibiting great collections. In the case of Hyundai Motors, they provide a lot of support for collections in the form of sponsorships. In addition, Paradise Hotel in Incheon is also known for their collection.

Q4. How would you compare the Lee Kun-hee collection to the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris?

A4. It seems similar to the Leeum Museum of Art in that it is a private company foundation.

Q5. K-Art is receiving a lot of attention. What do you think about Korean art?

A5. Maybe it's because I'm Korean, but I don't think the level of art itself is much different from the level in the West. However, if we look at reality, hegemony in the art world lies in the West. Museums, curators, journalists, etc. in the West are forming an institution. Additionally, the art world is also subject to many political influences and trends, such as the Black Lives Matter movement, African art, or Asian art, and it can be seen that the Western world is leading these trends.

Q6. You are very good at discovering new artists. How do you recognize them?

A6. The popularity of artists differ between the market and biennales, and museums. I tend to see artists with potential at museums and biennales, but I don't know much about artists active in the market. Many people ask me about collecting tips. To sum it up, you should buy art that ‘you really like.’ If there are works by ten artists that you chose, there’s a chance that one of them will become even more valuable and highly sought after in the future. You must have the confidence in all ten works that you chose so that you won’t regret the purchase of the nine other works that did not rise to fame. A more realistic advice would be to aim for works worth tens of millions of won, as there is a lot of uncertainty in works by young artists worth only several million won.

Q7. Following ‘Art Basel’ held in Hong Kong, ‘Frieze Seoul’ continues to be held in Seoul. Why is Korea emerging as a collectors’ market?

A7. Hong Kong, which has the advantage of having many Chinese collectors, is currently politically unstable, and Korea is emerging as a reflection of this. Moreover, there are actually not many artists in Hong Kong. On the other hand, in Korea, there are many artists and the institutions such as art schools are strong, so it can be said that the related public (nonprofit) sector has developed a lot. However, profit-making areas, which are opposite to the public sector, must also coexist, and unlike Hong Kong, which lacks a public sector, Korea can be seen as lacking in profit-making areas. However, as it has been slowly becoming known for a long time that Korea has a large artist base, major galleries are turning their attention to our country.

  Additionally, Korea is a country where many people have a negative view of the act of collecting itself, perhaps due to Confucian puritanism. However, recently, a shift in perspective has occurred as collectors reveal their hobbies rather than hiding them. Additionally, art collecting is known to be the highest level of luxury, and it is becoming something that more and more people want to try.