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Smart Museum of Art opens From the Land of the Morning Calm. Traditions of Korean Art

The Smart Museum of Art at the The University of Chicago presents From the Land of the Morning Calm. Traditions of Korean Art, an exhibition on view July 5 – September 9, 2012. Organized around the themes of craft, Buddhism, scholarly art, and modernity, the exhibition explores Korea’s unique cultural heritage from the Bronze Age to the present day.


Seon Monk-Painter Haejam, Indra and Heavenly Dragon General, circa 1770s, Opaque mineral pigments, ink, and gold on cloth (hanging scroll, remounted flat on stretched linen. Smart Museum of Art, The University of Chicago, Purchase, Paul and Miriam Kirkley Fund for Acquisitions, 2009.21.

From the Land of the Morning Calm is the first major exhibition to focus on the Smart’s wide- ranging collection of Korean art, which has expanded from a core of ceramic ware from the Goreyo and Joseon dynasties to include a diverse representation of the classical, traditional, and modern arts of Korea. The exhibition features nearly fifty objects in a variety of media—calligraphy, ceramic, metalwork, painting, and sculpture—and includes kinds of works that are rarely found in public collections outside of Asia.

From the Land of the Morning Calm is curated by Richard A. Born, Smart Museum Senior Curator. Richard will give a closing-day tour on September 9 and the exhibition is accompanied by several performances, talks and other programs that explore elements of Korean culture in depth.

Smart Museum of Art, The University of Chicago
5550 South Greenwood Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60637 smartmuseum.uchicago.edu

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