This exhibition is the first installment featuring works of the Korean-American artists in a long-term project called the Archive of Korean-American Artists (AKAA). The AHL Foundation has been working on this project for the past two years, collecting and documenting materials and records related to Korean-American artists deserving of more public recognition and attention. The Korean Cultural Service of New York is proud to present some of the archival sources in its gallery to the public this year.
Korean artists such as Whanki Kim (d. 1974), John Pai, and Po Kim began relocating to New York in the 1960s; in addition, a large number of artists arrived here to study at various MFA programs in the 1980s. Although the work of some of those artists has become well known, proper documentation of their accomplishments deserves more attention. The project itself is also an historical event to remember, and in which to celebrate a crucial period in Korean contemporary art. This exhibition will present a group of the first generation of these artists who set up their studios in the greater New York area from the 1960s to the 1980s. Coloring Time will include documents, photographs, drawings, and sketches of Korean America artists, along with several early works, which are classified into several themes in order to show the creative journey of this Korean contemporary art transplanted in the United States. The curators are Dr. Kyunghee Pyun of the AHL Foundation and Hee Sung Cho of the Korean Cultural Service. Dr. Soojung Hyun is a chief researcher for this project.