Portraits of the World: Korea

December 14, 2018 - November 17, 2019

Pioneering feminist artist Yun Suknam (born 1939) uses portraiture to gain insights into the lives of women, past and present. A wood assemblage portrait of her mother is the centerpiece of this exhibition, which includes portraits of American artists, such as Louise Bourgeois, Louise Nevelson, Marisol, Kiki Smith and Nancy Spero. This presentation focuses on shared themes and artistic approaches that have activated women artists from different parts of the globe. Robyn Asleson, the National Portrait Gallery’s associate curator of prints, drawings and media arts, is the curator of this exhibition. “Portraits of the World: Korea” is the second exhibition in a series dedicated to highlighting the global context of American portraiture and follows the series’ inaugural focus on Switzerland.