Su Kwak is a Korean-American artist who is esteemed for her atmospheric abstract landscapes. Kwak’s work is included in the permanent collections of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Korea and other noted museums. Kwak is represented by June Kelly Gallery in Soho, New York City.
Born in Busan, Korea, Kwak moved to the United States where she attended college at the University of St. Thomas in Houston and later completed her MFA with honors at the University of Chicago. Kwak has had numerous solo and group exhibitions including a traveling retrospective at the Brauer Museum of Art and the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art.
Public Collections
National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC
National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea
Brauer Museum of Art, Valparaiso University, Indiana
Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, University of Oregon, Eugene
Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea
Busan Museum of Art, Busan, Korea
Dae Lim Contemporary Art Museum, Seoul, Korea
Gwangju Museum of Art, Gwangju, Korea
Total Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea
Youngeun Museum of Contemporary Art, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
Jeollabuk-do Cultural Department, Jeonju, Korea
Sun Art Center, Seoul, Korea
Jean Art Center, Seoul, Korea
Doosan Dong-A Co., Ltd, Seoul, Korea
Embassy of the Republic of Korea to the United States, Washington, DC
Marriott Marquis Hotel DC. Art Collection, Washington, DC
Asian American Arts Centre, New York City
Arthur Anderson, Chicago
Seyfarth, Shaw, Fairweather & Geraldson, San Francisco
Thrall, Inc., Chicago
WilmerHale, New York City
Hyatt Hotels, Oakbrook, Illinois
PNC Bank, Washington, DC
Artist Talk at Brauer Museum of Art, 2019
Artist Talk at Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, 2013
Solo Exhibitions
2023
Su Kwak: Crossing Boundaries, June Kelly Gallery, New York City
2019
Su Kwak: Cosmic Light Series, Brauer Museum of Art, Valparaiso University, Indiana
Su Kwak: Light Cycles, June Kelly Gallery, New York City
Circles of Light, HK Art and Antiques Gallery, New York City
2016
Cosmic Light, June Kelly Gallery, New York City
2012- 2013
Su Kwak: Light Journey: An Odyssey in Paint, Brauer Museum of Art, Valparaiso University, Indiana; traveled to the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon, Eugene, catalogue
2009
Light and Time: New Paintings, Sun Art Center, Sun Gallery, Seoul, Korea; catalogue
Light and Time: New Paintings, June Kelly Gallery, New York City; catalogue
2006
Healing Light, Sun Art Center, Sun Gallery, Seoul, Korea; catalogue
2004
Healing Light, June Kelly Gallery, New York City; catalogue
2002
Light Series, Jean Art Gallery, Seoul, Korea; catalogue
2001
Beyond Light Series,Ellen Kim Murphy Gallery, Seoul, Korea; catalogue
2000
Recent Paintings, Korean Cultural Center, Washington, DC Recent Paintings,University of Maryland Gallery, College Park, Maryland
1997
Double Vision,Gallery Korea, Korean Cultural Center, New York City
1996
Divided Light Series, Sun Gallery, Seoul, Korea; catalogue
1993
Recent Paintings, Humphrey Gallery, New York City
Visions of East and West, University of Maryland Gallery, College Park, Maryland
1992
Light Passages, Gallery Korea, Korean Cultural Center, New York City
Inner Light Series, New York Academy of Sciences; traveled to: University of Chicago, Midway Gallery, Chicago International House Club, World Trade Center, New Orleans American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, DC
1986
Recent Paintings, Jan Cicero Gallery, Chicago
1983
The Burning Bush Series, Ward-Nasse Gallery, New York City
1982
The Burning Bush Series, Elmhurst College Gallery, Elmhurst, Illinois
1979
MFA Exhibitions, Midwest Studio Gallery, Universe of Chicago
Group Exhibitions
2024
Autumn Group Exhibition, HK Art Antiques Galler, New York City
The Women of the June Kelly Gallery, June Kelly Gallery, New York City
2023
Figures and Flowers HK Art and Antiques Gallery, New York City (March 16 - 24)
2020
Time of Peace: Works by Women Artists, HK Art and Antiques Gallery, New York City
2019
HK May Group Exhibition, HK Art and Antiques Gallery, New York City
2018
Life of Women, HK Art and Antiques Gallery, New York City
2017
Celebrating 30 Years, Gallery Artists: Drawings and Photographs at June Kelly Gallery
East Meets West in New York, HK Art and Antiques Gallery, New York City Life Movement, HK Art and Antiques Gallery, New York City
2016
Collateral Damage, The Anya and Andrew Shiva Gallery, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York
2015
The Sun Shines for Us All, Brauer Museum of Art, Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, IN Chosen Homeland: Searching for Women’s Identity & Unity, the Korean Cultural Center, Washington, DC Love & Healing, MK Gallery, Vienna, Virginia
2014
New Art Collection, curated by Marsha Ralls, Marriott Marquis Hotel, Washington, DC
2012
Celebrating 25 Years, June Kelly Gallery, New York City
2011
20 Years, 20 Artists, The Ralls Collection, Washington, DC
Spread Your Vision Invitational, Ewha Art Gallery, Seoul, Korea
2010
Featured Artists, Andrews Art Museum, Andrews, North Carolina
First International Flag Festival, Jeolla Province, Korea
33rd Anniversary 330 Artists, Sun Art Center, Sun Gallery, Seoul, Korea
2009
Gallery Artists, Sun Art Center-Sun Gallery, Seoul, Korea
2007
Pure and High: Lee Gyuill Collection, Lee’s Gallery, Seoul, Korea
New Acquisitions 2006, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea
Art DC International Art Fair, Gallery Athena-Paris, Washington, DC
2006
The 1st Art & Welfare International Design Invitation, Gongju National Museum, Gongju, Korea
2005
Festival of World Written Languages: 5th World Calligraphy Biennale, Jeollabuk-do, Korea
2004
A Universe of Art, organized by Corporate Art Directions, Credit Suisse First Boston, New York City
2003
Art for Art‘s Sake, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC
New Acquisitions, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea
4th World Calligraphy Biennale of Jeollabuk-do, Korea
100 Year Anniversary of Korean Immigration to America, L.A. Hyun Gallery, Los Angeles
Contemporary Korean and Japanese Paintings, Jean Art Gallery, Seoul, Korea
Meditation, Gallery Light, Seoul, Korea
2002
100 Artists’ Show, Gallery Light, Seoul, Korea
An Exhibition of Contemporary American Art in the Residence of Ambassador and Mrs. Thomas C. Hubbard, Art in Embassies Program, Seoul, Korea
2001
24th Anniversary Show, Sun Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
2000
Seoul Art Fair, Seoul Arts Center, represented by Sun Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
1999
Contemporary American Women Artists, Art in Embassies Program, US Department of State, Embassy to the Conference on Disarmament, Geneva, Switzerland
Eat Art, Steinbaum Krauss Gallery, New York City
New Wind: Korean American Artists Rockville Art Place, Maryland, traveled to the Maryland Art Place, Baltimore, Maryland, curated by Jack Rasmussen
1998
Six Artists, Myung Sook Lee Gallery, New York City
Contemporary American Art, Art in Embassies Program, Seoul, Korea Asian American Women Artists, New World Art Center, New York City, curated By Norma Cohen Korean American Artists, University College Arts Gallery, University of Maryland College Park, curated by Deena Crosso
1997
20th Year Anniversary Show, Sun Gallery, Seoul, Korea Summer Group Show, Marisa del Re Gallery, New York City
1996
Seoul International Art Fair '96, Seoul, Korea
Visions of the Next Generation, Seoul Arts Center Museum, Korea
Summer Group Show, Marisa del Re Gallery, New York City
1995
A Celebration of Ten Years of the Art of Science and Technology, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, DC, curated by Jeannette Murray,
Introductions, Kouros Gallery, New York City
Inaugural Exhibition, The American Center for Physics, College Park, Maryland
1994
Holiday Group Show, Kouros Gallery, New York City
Gallery Artists, Sylvia Schmidt Gallery, New Orleans
Art from America, Artempo Gallery, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Members' Gallery Show, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York
1993
Summer Group Show, Marisa del Re Gallery, New York City 111 International Artists for Peace, Gallery Bhak, Seoul, Korea
Building Bridges, International Monetary Fund Art Gallery, Washington, DC
1992
The Landscape: Subject of Renewed Scrutiny, Foster Gallery, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Journeys, Martin Luther King Library, Washington, DC
1991
Tenth Annual Juried Exhibition, of The Fine Arts Museum of Long Island, Hempstead, New York, juried by Caroline-Adler, Grace Borgenicht Gallery, New York City
Global Color, Women's Caucus for the Arts, Washington, DC
International Exhibition, George Mason University Gallery, Arlington, Virginia
1990
International Artists Show, Martin Luther King Library, Washington, DC
1989
Gallery Artists and Invitational, Katharina Rich Perlow Gallery, New York City
China-June 4, 1989, Blum-Helman Gallery, New York City
1988
Three Rivers Arts Festival, Pittsburgh, juried by Marge Goldwater of the Walker Art Center
5th Annual Open Studio: Ten Chinatown Art Exhibition, Asian-American Arts Centre, New York City
1987
Gallery Group Show, B.R. Kornblatt Gallery, Washington, DC
1986
Exuberant Abstraction, Jan Cicero Gallery, Chicago
1985
Chicago Artists Show, Xerox Center, Chicago
1984
Inaugural Show of Gallery Artists, Jan Cicero Gallery, Chicago A Pebble for Peace, North Park Gallery, Chicago
1983
Art from Henry Street, City Gallery, New York Cultural Center, New York City
1982
Annual Juried Exhibition '82, of The Queens Museum, New York City, juried by April Kingsley of the Sculpture Center,
Fifty Views of Art, Cork Gallery, Lincoln Center, New York City
The Visual Arts at Henry Street, Henry Street Settlement Arts for Living Center, New York City Christmas Show, Ward-Nasse Gallery, New York City
Art from Henry Street, Kingsborough Community College Art Gallery, Brooklyn, New York City
1981
Annual Juried Exhibition, St. John's University Art Gallery, Jamaica, NY
Awards
2000
Award from the Republic of Korea for contributions to the advancement of Korean culture overseas
1998
Individual Artist Award, Maryland State Arts Council
1982
Artist-in-Residence, Henry Street Settlement Arts for Living Center, New York City
1980
Fairweather-Hardin Gallery Prize for “excellence in the fine arts” from The University of Chicago