On view: May 7 - July 19, 2025

Tuesday - Friday: 10 AM - 6 PM / Saturday: 11 AM - 5 PM
It is closed on Sunday and Monday.

Venue: Atrium & Gallery at the KCCNY

122 East 32nd Street, New York, NY, 10016

Opening Ceremony

Wednesday, May 7 (6-8 PM)

RSVP for Opening Reception

Chang Ucchin (1917–1990) was a seminal figure in establishing Korean modernism, developing a distinctive artistic style that embodies a sense of innocence and playfulness. His work has become a cornerstone of modern and contemporary Korean art, leaving behind a significant legacy that reflects his deep affection for family, home, and nature.

Chang Ucchin sought to capture the fundamental beauty of life through the simplest forms, depicting familiar natural elements such as trees, birds, the sun, and the moon. These motifs transcend time and space, creating a world of peace and serenity. In his paintings, the home is more than a structure; it is a spiritual refuge, the heart of life, and an ideal space where humanity and nature exist in perfect harmony.

* Photograph: Daihan Jeong / Korean Cultural Center New York

In 1992, the Limited Editions Club (LEC) of New York recognized Chang Ucchin as an artist who best represents Korean culture and published Golden Ark, an exclusive collection of 12 paintings he personally selected from among the over 730 oil paintings he had created. The title, Golden Ark, metaphorically compares his artistic value to gold and conveys his role as a vessel guiding his era. To preserve the authenticity of his work, the book was meticulously handcrafted to replicate the exact size and colors of his original paintings, making it a rare and invaluable document of his artistic universe.

This exhibition marks the first dedicated presentation of Chang Ucchin’s work in New York, revisiting the works and philosophy encapsulated in Golden Ark. In today’s rapidly changing world, his paintings remind us of the warmth of family, the comfort of home, and the tranquil beauty of nature, presenting a space where one can rediscover simple yet profound happiness even within the complexities of urban life. By dissolving the boundaries between reality and the ideal, this exhibition invites audiences to experience the world Chang Ucchin envisioned—one filled with purity, harmony, and the timeless resonance of art.

Featured Artworks

About the Artist

Chang Ucchin is widely recognized as one of the key figures of modern Korean art, alongside Park Su-geun, Kim Whanki, and Lee Jung-seob. Born in Yeongi, Chungcheongnam-do, in 1917, Chang showed early promise as a painter and studied Western painting at the Teikoku Art School (present-day Musashino Art University) in Tokyo in 1939. After Korea’s liberation, he worked briefly at the National Museum of Korea before serving as a professor at Seoul National University’s College of Fine Arts from 1954 to 1960. He later chose to leave academia to live a simple life in nature and devote himself fully to painting.

In 1947, Chang co-founded the New Realism Group (Shinsasilpa) with Kim Whanki and Yoo Youngkuk, advocating a new way of seeing reality—not through mere representation, but through the pursuit of spiritual and essential truths embedded in everyday forms. Inspired by his surroundings, Chang portrayed familiar subjects such as trees, children, birds, and houses. His paintings are marked by a poetic simplicity, emotional balance, and a whimsical yet contemplative tone, transcending the boundaries between Eastern and Western traditions.

Rather than seeking grandeur, Chang favored intimate compositions, distilling the essence of his subjects with minimal lines and deliberate spatial arrangements. His work bridges traditional Korean sensibilities with modernist expression, offering quiet yet profound reflections on life. He passed away in 1990 at the age of 74, leaving behind a deeply influential legacy that continues to inspire audiences across generations.

Chronology of Chang Ucchin (1917–1990)

1917
Born on November 26, 1917 (January 8, 1918 in the solar calendar) in Dong-myeon, Yeongi-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, Korea.

1938
Wins an award at the 7th National Student Art Exhibition hosted by Donga Ilbo, and receives the Grand Prize (President's Award) at the 2nd National Student Art Exhibition organized by Chosun Ilbo for Playing Gonggi.

1939
Graduates from Yangjeong High School and enters the Department of Western Painting at Teikoku Art School in Tokyo.

1945–47
Works in the Exhibition Division at the National Museum of Korea following liberation.

1954–61
Serves as an Instructor at the College of Fine Arts, Seoul National University.

1957–58
Participates in international exhibitions at the University of Minnesota and New York’s World House Gallery.

1963
Establishes a studio in Deokso (present-day Sampae-dong, Namyangju) and begins working in seclusion.

1964
Debuts his first solo exhibition at Bando Gallery.

1975
Moves into a hanok studio in Myeongnyun-dong, publishes his essay collection Atelier of the Riverside, and begins producing drawings for woodcut prints inspired by Zen philosophy.

1980
Relocates to Suanbo, converting a farmhouse into a studio and living space with his wife.

1982
Presents a solo exhibition at Scope Gallery in Los Angeles.

1986
Stages the retrospective Chang Ucchin Works at Kukje Gallery to mark his 70th birthday and moves into a renovated hanok studio in Mabuk-ri, Yongin.

1989
Participates in Korea Contemporary Art at the Bergen Museum of Art and Science in New Jersey.

1990
Passes away at Hanguk Hospital on December 27.

Chang Ucchin: The Eternal Home

Featured Artworks

About the Artist