ONGOING ASIA WEEK NEW YORK EXHIBITION
Elegance and Simplicity: Bohnchang Koo and Geejo Lee
March 14 – April 8, 2025
We are delighted to present an exceptional exhibition, Elegance and Simplicity: Bohnchang Koo and Geejo Lee, featuring the renowned works of two masters in their respective fields: Bohnchang Koo, a celebrated photographer, and Geejo Lee, an established contemporary ceramic artist. This exhibition will be open to the public by appointment and will run from March 14 – April 8, 2025, from 11:00am to 5:30pm, Monday through Friday.
Bohnchang Koo is internationally acclaimed for his evocative photography, which captures the passage of time and the fragile beauty of objects. His renowned Vessels series explores the delicate nature of Joseon-era baekja (white porcelains), highlighting the pure beauty of Korea’s cultural heritage. In creating this series, Koo photographed baekja from museum collections in Korea and around the world. With a career spanning over three decades, his still life photography – ranging from Joseon ceramics to objects collected during his travels – invites viewers to reflect on history, beauty, and the fleeting nature of time.
Geejo Lee is a contemporary ceramic artist known for his innovative take on traditional Korean ceramics. Lee works with traditional methods and materials, including the same clay used to create Moon Jars, crafting vessels that are prized for their simplicity and functionality. His ceramic creations embody a fusion of timeless traditions and contemporary design, producing works that are not only visually stunning but also suitable for everyday use. Lee’s mastery of ceramic techniques and his deep understanding of Korean ceramics have made him a key figure in South Korea’s contemporary ceramic movement.
Elegance and Simplicity: Bohnchang Koo and Geejo Lee offers a rare opportunity to experience the intersection of these two extraordinary artists’ practices, where Koo’s meditative photographs of Joseon ceramic vessels resonate with Lee’s elegant ceramic works. Together, they celebrate the quiet beauty of craftsmanship, time, and tradition.
About the Artists:
Bohnchang Koo is a celebrated Seoul-based photographer whose work spans several decades and continents. After studying photography in Hamburg, Germany, Koo’s work has focused on capturing the intimate moments of life through still lifes and portraits. Since 2004, Koo has photographed traditional Korean ceramics. In his Vessel series, he highlights the pure beauty of Korea’s cultural heritage. His works have been exhibited internationally and are housed in prestigious collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, at the Asian Art Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul.
Born in 1959, Geejo Lee is a leading figure in contemporary ceramic art. Lee was born on the island of Jeju, Korea, and earned both a BFA and MFA from Seoul National University. Inspired by the timeless beauty of Joseon-era white porcelains, he offers a fresh and contemporary interpretation of this tradition. Lee reimagines the aesthetic qualities of white porcelain in contemporary terms, creating a visual language that is succinct yet profoundly expressive. His works are held in prestigious collections such as the Jin Ro Culture Foundation in Seoul, the Gwangju Joseon Royal Kiln Museum, the Yeoju Ceramic Art Museum in Gyeonggi-do, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
We look forward to sharing this enthralling exhibition with you!
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About the Gallery
HK Art and Antiques LLC, led by director Heakyum Kim, specializes in Korean classical paintings, ceramics, sculptures, and modern & contemporary art.
Heakyum Kim joined Christie’s New York in 1993 and worked with the department of Korean Art for 22 years, helping to establish market leadership for the department worldwide. She is a renowned specialist for Joseon Dynasty ceramics and modern art. During the course of her career, Ms. Kim has placed major works with the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, the British Museum, the Cleveland Museum, the Metropolitan Museum, and the Peabody-Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, along with important private collections internationally.
