Suki Seokyeong Kang, a leading figure in Korean contemporary art, died at the age of 48 
 
Throughout her career, Kang explored the expanded possibilities of painting while seeking to reconstruct new spatial and temporal dimensions by bringing tradition into the present. Over more than two decades of artistic practice, she consistently contemplated the space granted to individuals within society, the existence of others living alongside oneself, and the ways in which their movements are perceived and interconnected, a vision she called the "True-View Landscape (眞景)." 

To realize this vision, Kang reinterpreted narrative elements drawn from her own body and personal history, as well as various traditional Korean concepts and methodologies, weaving them into a unique visual language that left a significant mark on contemporary Korean art.

Remembering the late artist, her family said, "In a chaotic and turbulent world, Suki Seokyeong Kang sought to uphold the essential 'Asian values' with a clear spirit, transforming them into art to share with many." 

They especially highlighted her representative work Grandmother Tower, created in memory of her grandmother, saying, "It delicately embodies the traditions and communal values we must not forget and stands as a symbol of Kang’s artistic world."

Other notable works that embody Kang’s core concepts include Jeong 井, which references the symbols of Jeongganbo (井間譜), a form of measured notation invented by King Sejong during the Joseon Dynasty, and adopts square and grid-like forms; Mora, inspired by the linguistic term referring to a unit smaller than a syllable, reinterpreted by Kang as the basic unit of painting that accumulates narratives over time; and Mat, a series drawn from the Hwaseon-mat — a floral-patterned straw mat used to mark the dancing space in Chunaeng-mu (春鶯舞), a solo royal court dance of the Joseon era. 

In addition to her ongoing exploration of the relationship between society and the individual through works such as Grandmother Tower, Narrow Meadow, and Rove and Round, Kang had, in recent years, expanded her practice by experimenting with new sculptural installations in varied forms. These included series such as Mountain, Ears, Hours, Column, and Floor, reflecting her continuous pursuit of innovative modes of expression.

Suki Seokyeong Kang graduated from the Department of Oriental Painting and the Graduate School of Fine Arts at Ewha Womans University, and went on to earn her Master’s degree in Painting from the Royal College of Art in the United Kingdom, as well as a Doctorate from the Department of Oriental Painting at Ewha Womans University. She later served as a professor in the same department, dedicating herself to nurturing a new generation of artists. 

Her major solo exhibitions included 《Suki Seokyeong Kang: Mountain—Hour—Face》 (Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, 2025), 《MARCH》 (Kukje Gallery, Seoul, 2024), 《Suki Seokyeong Kang: Willow Drum Oriole》 (Leeum Museum of Art, Seoul, 2023), 《Square See Triangle》 (Buk-Seoul Museum of Art, 2019), 《Suki Seokyeong Kang》 (MUDAM, Luxembourg City, 2019), and 《Black Mat Oriole》 (ICA Philadelphia, 2018), among others.

Additionally, she has participated in major group exhibitions at renowned institutions both domestically and internationally, including 《The Shape of Time: Korean Art after 1989》 (Minneapolis Institute of Art, 2024), 《The Shape of Time: Korean Art after 1989》 (Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2023), 《Scoring Words》 (Seoul Museum of Art, 2022), 《Dependent Objects》 (Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, 2021), 《25 Years of the Mudam Collection》 (MUDAM, Luxembourg City, 2020), and 《As the Moon waxes and wanes》 (National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Gwacheon, 2016).
 
In addition, the artist participated in the 58th Venice Biennale (2019), the 12th Shanghai Biennale (2018), the 10th Liverpool Biennale (2018), and the 11th and 12th Gwangju Biennales (2016, 2018), among other international biennales. 

Kang received the Baloise Art Prize at Art Basel in 2018 and the Excellence Award at the 13th SONGEUN Art Award in 2013. In 2012, she was selected as a participant in the Bloomberg New Contemporaries.

References

• 강서경, Suki Seokyeong Kang (Artist Website)
• 국제갤러리, 강서경 (Kukje Gallery, Suki Seokyeong Kang)