Attending the posthumous
donation ceremony of late artist Suki Seokyeong Kang’s works in June: the
artist’s family and Ewha Womans University President Hyang-Sook Lee ©Ewha
Womans University
Last
April, Korean artist Suki Seokyeong Kang (1977–2025) passed away at the age of
48. Following her passing, her family donated over 400 of her works to her alma
mater, Ewha Womans University.
Late artist Suki Seokyeong Kang’s Donation works ©Ewha
Womans University
On
September 2, Ewha Womans University announced that it had received the
donation, which includes some works the late artist had previously entrusted to
the university’s museum, totaling over 400 pieces. The university noted that it
is highly unusual for a Korean university to receive such a large-scale
posthumous donation in one installment.
Kang’s
family expressed their hope that the donated works “will serve as assets for
the advancement of academic and arts education at Ewha Womans University.” The
university has established a dedicated committee to manage and utilize the
collection and plans to highlight Kang’s artistic contributions through
exhibitions and symposiums.
Late artist Suki Seokyeong Kang ©Kukje Gallery
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.
She
gained international recognition with her installation series ‘GRANDMOTHER
TOWER’, which relies solely on the friction of threads to hold itself together
without any adhesive. The work won the Baloise Art Prize at Art Basel, the
world’s largest art fair, in 2018, and in 2019, she was invited to participate
in the main exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.
Suki Seokyeong Kang,
GRANDMOTHER TOWER - tow #19-01, 2018-2019, Thread on
reproduced industrial dish carrier, woven dyed Hwamunseok, thread, painted
steel, wheels, Approx. 241.5 × 51 × 80 cm ©Suki Seokyeong Kang
Ewha
Womans University President Hyang-Sook Lee stated, “The late Professor Suki
Seokyeong Kang left a profound resonance, connecting tradition and the present
while reflecting on the spirit of the times through her art. Her posthumous
works will serve as a valuable asset, inspiring Ewha’s education and artistic
imagination.”
