The British Museum is set to unveil a major new exhibition in October that traces over two millennia of Korean art and cultural history. Titled "Korea: 2,000 Years of Creativity," the display features nearly 100 objects, including archaeological finds, sculptures, ceramics, paintings, and books, showcasing the evolution and diversity of Korean artistic expression from 300 BCE to the present day.

Among the highlights is a 19th-century painted screen, *Sun, Moon and Five Peaks*, which depicts a stylized landscape symbolizing elements of nature rather than a specific locale. The exhibition also includes ritual items used in Korean shamanistic practices, gilt-bronze royal burial shoes, a 6th-century bodhisattva triad, and works by renowned artists such as the court painter Kim Hongdo. Modern pieces extend to a moon jar, a contemporary wire sculpture, and Nam June Paik’s television installation, reflecting Korea’s longstanding engagement with both tradition and innovation.

Organized collaboratively by the British Museum, the National Museum of Korea, and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, the exhibition marks the institution’s first major showcase of Korean culture in more than four decades. The collection draws substantially from the late Lee Kun-Hee’s personal art holdings. Lee, former chairman of Samsung and son of its founder, was noted for his belief in the importance of collecting and preserving cultural heritage as essential to humanity’s future.

Sang-ah Kim, curator of Korean collections at the British Museum, described the exhibition as an exploration of the contexts in which each object was created, shedding light on the artists and patrons behind them throughout Korean history. The exhibition underscores Korea’s historical practice of assimilating and transforming external influences—from religious beliefs and artistic styles to technologies—into a distinct cultural identity.

The display arrives at a moment when Korean cultural products such as music, cinema, television, food, and design enjoy widespread global popularity. However, the exhibition offers a perspective that extends far beyond contemporary phenomena, presenting centuries of artistic dialogue and adaptation rather than a singular origin story.

"Korea: 2,000 Years of Creativity" will be on view at the British Museum from October 1, 2026, through January 31, 2027. Samsung is a corporate partner of the museum. Further information about the exhibition is available on the British Museum’s website.