Adolph Gottlieb and Kim Whanki @ Pace Gallery, Seoul - 'The Language of Abstraction, The Universe of Emotion' Exhibition

The Language of Abstraction, The Universe of Emotion 

Adolph Gottlieb and Kim Whanki

Pace Gallery, Seoul

October 31, 2025 – January 10, 2026

Kim Whanki 

Untitled, 1967 

Oil on canvas, 177 x 127 cm 

© Whanki Foundation · Whanki Museum

Pace  presents The Language of Abstraction, The Universe of Emotion, a pair of exhibitions of works by American Abstract Expressionist Adolph Gottlieb and pioneering Korean painter Kim Whanki, at its Seoul gallery. On view across two floors of the gallery, these dual presentations—organized in collaboration with the Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation and the Whanki Foundation—offer viewers an opportunity to witness how two 20th century figures with different cultural and philosophical backgrounds visualized their unique perspectives and forged a universal language through abstraction.

Gottlieb’s paintings fuse intuitive shapes with bold color fields to visualize emotion and the unconscious, while Kim’s canvases employ repeated dots and refined chromatic structures to evoke an Eastern sense of meditation and cosmic order. Deeply moved by his first encounter with Gottlieb’s work in the U.S. Pavilion at the São Paulo Biennale in 1963, Kim Whanki subsequently relocated to New York, where he embarked on one of the most intense periods of his career. Immersed in the city’s dynamic art scene, he gradually eliminated figurative references from his work, refining his language into dots, lines, and planes. His restrained compositions and luminous fields of meticulously placed dots evoke skies, seas, and constellations, transforming time and space into poetic abstractions. His celebrated Dot Paintings series, completed during these years, played a key role in the introduction of Korean Modernism to the global stage. Pace’s exhibition of Kim’s work from the late 1960s to the early 1970s focuses on the development of his Dot Paintings from structural compositions using crosses and quadrants (Sibjagudo).

A central figure of the New York School alongside Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko, Adolph Gottlieb was at the vanguard of American Abstract Expressionism. His Pictographs of the 1940s used an all-over grid structure and invented symbols to give form to the unconscious, and in the 1950s he developed his signature Burst series: paintings that juxtapose a floating orb with explosive brushwork. These compositions dramatize the tensions between order and chaos, color, and form, inviting universal and intuitive responses rather than prescribing narrative meaning. Pace’s presentation in Seoul includes a selection of works produced by Adolph Gottlieb during the 1960s and 1970s, including the large-scale painting Expanding (1962), along with canvases from his Imaginary Landscapes series, which utilize the form of landscape painting to include unlimited perception.

Though their practices were rooted in distinct cultural contexts, Kim and Gottlieb are connected by a shared pursuit of universality—using color, symbol, and structure to explore humanity, the cosmos, and the realm of emotion. The Language of Abstraction, The Universe of Emotion is conceived as a dialogue, where the visual and emotional resonances between their works illuminate the boundless possibilities of abstraction and its enduring significance in art history.

Adolph Gottlieb (b. 1903, New York; d. 1974, New York) is recognized as a key figure of the New York School. Initially informed by Italian Renaissance painting, Impressionism, and the European avant-garde, Gottlieb became an advocate of abstraction from the 1930s onward, notably organizing the protest of an exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, in 1950, for which he and a group of fellow artists became known as the Irascibles. Producing paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture, and tapestries, Adolph Gottlieb developed an aesthetic vocabulary from Jungian theory, underpinned by aspects of automatism, primitivism, and Surrealism. He continued to refine these stylistic means throughout his career, pursuing images that evoke an immediate and visceral impact on the viewer, through his series of Pictographs, Imaginary Landscapes, and Bursts.

Kim Whanki (b. 1913, Jeollanam-do, Korea; d. 1974, New York) is recognized as one of the pioneers of abstract modernism in South Korea during the twentieth century. The artist studied at Nihon University, Tokyo, from 1933 to 1936, a period during which he began exploring abstraction. From 1946 to 1950, he served as a professor in the Department of Western Painting at Seoul National University, and from 1952 to 1955 as professor and dean of the Department of Western Painting at Hongik University, Seoul. He was appointed as President of the Fine Arts Association in 1963.

PACE SEOUL

267 Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul

www.pacegallery.com

ringl + pit @ Robert Mann Gallery, NYC - Grete Stern + Ellen Auebach Photography Exhibition

ringl + pit

Robert Mann Gallery, New York

October 23 - December 6, 2025

At the height of the Weimar Republic, an artist duo experimented with gender roles and consumer culture, subverting a commercial world dominated by cheerful faces and brightly illustrated pages. They photographed wigs, mannequins, and merchandise in unorthodox still lives, tapping into Berlin’s vibrant, avant-garde spirit. Their work transcended traditional advertising, highlighting touch, texture, and enigma. Their name: ringl + pit.

Robert Mann Gallery presents ringl + pit, an exhibition featuring rare studio photographs alongside an exceptionally limited-edition portfolio of the duo’s life work—much of which has been rarely exhibited to the public.

ringl + pit were the childhood nicknames of Grete Stern (ringl) and Ellen Auerbach (pit). Both trained under Walter Peterhans, the pioneering photography instructor at the Bauhaus, who emphasized precision, formal clarity, and graphic design. In 1930, Stern and Auerbach founded their Berlin-based studio, ringl + pit, blending avant-garde experimentation with commercial portraiture and advertising. Their work emerged during a period of increasing independence for women in Germany, both socially and artistically.

Their photographs challenged conventional advertising norms through striking, surreal, and meticulously composed images. Working collaboratively, the women alternated roles behind the camera and on set, constantly refining each shot until it felt just right. The studio quickly gained a reputation as one of Germany’s most innovative, producing crisp, compelling images that merged modernist aesthetics with subversive wit. Their work was widely recognized, earning international awards and appearing in influential publications such as Die Gebrauchsgraphik and Cahiers d’Art.

Among their most iconic works is Komol Haircoloring Advertisement, an advertisement for hair dye that disrupts traditional beauty standards with artificial hair, a paper cutout silhouette, and metallic mesh. In the Güldenring Cigarettes Advertisemen, they defy convention by omitting both the pack and the hand, instead focusing on a single cigarette protruding from a cellophane wrapper. Their textile commission for Maratti captures a seam running down a luxurious swath of fabric—eschewing the expected female model and instead emphasizing craftsmanship and tactile detail.

The exhibition also includes two rare self-portraits. In pit with Veil, Ellen Auerbach is shown in a stylized headpiece, her sideways glance withheld from the viewer, hinting at the portrait as a form of disguise. In contrast, Grete Stern appears in a tight close-up, her bespectacled face framed with intense, inward focus. Together, these portraits reveal the duo’s deep artistic dialogue—an exploration of selfhood, queerness, and mutual expression. Their work captures the intellectual and creative energy of Weimar-era Germany, a time of extraordinary cultural ferment that was tragically cut short by the rise of the Nazi regime. As progressive Jewish women, both Grete Stern and Ellen Auerbach were forced to flee the country in the early 1930s.

Ellen Auerbach eventually settled in New York; Grete Stern made her home in Buenos Aires. Though continents apart, the two remained lifelong friends. In 1985, they co-published Fotografie ringl + pit, a carefully designed portfolio that echoed the aesthetic and material choices of their early 1930s studio work.

Taken together, their photographs illuminate how Ellen Auerbach and Grete Stern not only participated in, but helped define the avant-garde spirit of their time. Through humor, experimentation, and a refusal to conform to prescribed gender roles, they carved out a bold new space for visual expression. Their work endures as a testament to photography’s power to question representation, defy convention, and assert identity.

The exhibition ringl + pit is presented in conjunction with Yale University of Art Gallery’s The Shared New Vision of ringl + pit, on view through December 7, 2025. 

ROBERT MANN GALLERY

508 West 26th Street, New York, NY 10001

robertmann.com

Kirchner. Picasso @ LWL Museum, Münster + Kirchner Museum Davos

Kirchner. Picasso

LWL Museum, Münster

26 September 2025 - 18 January 2026

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

Kaffeetafel (Vs), 1908 

Acquired with the support of the

Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen

LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur 

Photo: LWL / Sabine Ahlbrand-Dornseif

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

Drei Badende am Meer, 1912-1920

Switzerland, Private Collection

Photo: Sammlung Ulmberg

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner 

Tänzerin Palucca, 1929 

Private Collection

Photo: Georgios Michaloudis, farbanalyse, Köln

The LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur in Münster presents the exhibition ‘Kirchner. Picasso’. It is the first show to explore these two singular artists and their surprising parallels in such depth.

From the vibrant life of the big city to the intimacy of the studio and the stillness of the mountains: At the beginning of the 20th century, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Pablo Picasso bore witness to a new era, with their works speaking of change, crisis and passion. Though they never met in person, their pictorial worlds and styles converged. 100 works from major European museums will highlight the similarities and contrasts between two of the most important modernist artists.

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner 

Sängerin am Piano, 1930/31 

Courtesy Galerie Henze & Ketterer, Wichtrach/Bern

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner 

Blonde Frau in rotem Kleid (Bildnis Frau Hembus), 1932 

Private Collection

Photo: Dominique Uldry

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner 

Junkerboden, 1938

Kirchner Museum Davos,

Permanent loan from the 

Rosemarie Ketterer Foundation

Photo: Kirchner Museum Davos

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Pablo Picasso were born just one year apart, in the German Empire and in Spain. Their paths to art differed widely, yet both shared a passion for innovation and continually reinvented their artistic expression. The exhibition opens with the biographies of Kirchner and Picasso, intertwining the lives of the two artists not only with each other, but also with the events of contemporary history. At the same time, Kirchner and Picasso are placed within the wider context of Franco-German artistic exchange.

In their works, both artists depict people in the big city: while dancing, making music, or at variety shows. It is about glamour, speed and ecstasy – but also about the hard life behind the scenes, about loneliness and poverty. The exhibition tells of both – of the fascination of the stage and of what remains hidden from the audience.

Among the most well-known works by both artists are their expressive portraits. The focus is on the likenesses of their respective life partners. These portraits also clearly illustrate the stylistic developments of Kirchner and Picasso. The subject of the bather, a symbol of insouciance and joie de vivre, is also a recurring theme in both artists’ works. Whether in the studio or in nature – the nude is a is a recurring subject in the work of both Kirchner and Picasso. The view of naked female bodies contrasted with partially clothed men raises questions about the relationship between painter and model. The studio itself also plays an important role: it is more than just a workspace – here, famous works were created, here, ideas were toyed with, life was lived, and sometimes convivial time was spent.

Finally, the exhibition sheds light on the self-staging of both artists. Kirchner in particular regularly depicted himself in self-portraits, which offer a glimpse of his personal situation at various points in time. His life as an artist, as well as his struggle with physical and psychological health, are made visible in these works. Picasso, on the other hand, used the mythological figure of the Minotaur for his self-staging and mastered the art of presenting himself through photographic self-portraits.

An exhibition by the LWL Museum für Kunst und Kultur, Münster, and the Kirchner Museum Davos, where it will be on view from 15 February through 3 May, 2026.

LWL-MUSEUM FÜR KUNST UND KULTUR

Westfälisches Landesmuseum

Domplatz 10, 48143 Münster

www.lwl-museum-kunst-kultur.de

Lee Seung Jio @ Tina Kim Gallery, NYC - "Nucleus in Resonance" Exhibition of work by a leading figure in postwar Korean geometric abstraction

Lee Seung Jio: Nucleus in Resonance

Tina Kim Gallery, New York

September 18 - November 1, 2025

Tina Kim Gallery presents Lee Seung Jio: Nucleus in Resonance. Marking the gallery’s second solo exhibition of LEE SEUNG JIO (1941–1990), a leading figure in postwar Korean geometric abstraction, this presentation surveys Lee’s defining Nucleus series, which he explored consistently from the late 1960s to his final decade. For Lee, the nucleus was more than a formal motif; it functioned as a central point of perception, where energy, rhythm, and sensory experience came together.

 “I began this [painting] after the launch of the Apollo spacecraft opened my eyes to the spatiality of the universe. It feels like the most fitting way to express the era I live in, so I’ve kept working on it ever since.”[1]

During Korea’s rapid industrialization and urban expansion in the 1960s, Lee turned to a single, enduring motif: the cylindrical pipe form. Lee’s pipes are both abstract and figurative, existing as two-dimensional planes and three-dimensional forms. Although often referred to as the “master of pipes,” Lee once noted that he neither sought nor rejected the label. For him, the repeated cylindrical form was never intended to represent any symbolic object; rather, it served to expose the illusions inherent in visual perception and to question the premise of figurative representation. Through this process, Lee aimed to depict a sensuous realm stripped of symbolic meaning—a world of “sheer particles,” as he described it.

As a founding member of the groups ORIGIN (1962–) and AG (Korean Avant-Garde Association, 1969–1975), Lee helped establish the theoretical and methodological foundations of postwar Korean art. Even though his work was often associated with movements such as Mono-ha, Minimalism, and Dansaekhwa at the time, Lee developed a distinct visual language characterized by precision, restraint, and structural clarity. As Joan Kee has observed, Lee’s work reveals how he critically engaged with contemporary abstraction—a mode in which socio-historical conditions are transformed into rigorous compositional structures.[2]

The earliest work in the exhibition, Nucleus 10 (1968), was first shown at the 12th Contemporary Art Exhibit at Gyeongbokgung Palace Museum. The painting marks the beginning of Lee’s signature motif—a tubular form. This vocabulary finds fuller articulation in Nucleus 74-9 (1968–1974), in which the pipe motif becomes the organizing framework of the entire composition. To achieve the illusion of metallic density, Lee applied oil paint with a flat brush loaded with light and dark tones at either end, then meticulously sanded the surface—burnishing the paint to heighten its reflectivity and optical depth. Featured in Only the Young: Experimental Art in Korea, 1960s–1970s—co-organized by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea and the Guggenheim Museum—the work affirms Lee’s growing significance within Korean modernism.

Lee continued to experiment with iterations of the Nucleus and develop his formal vocabulary throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Nucleus 73-18 (1973) and Nucleus 74-07 (1974) demonstrate his continued inquiry into the nature of perception, while reflecting a more subtle visual language grounded in the distilled and process-driven aesthetics of the time. Works from the 1980s—represented here by Nucleus 88-10 (1988), Nucleus 86-71 (1986), and the monumental Nucleus 87-99 (1987)—demonstrate his sustained pursuit of structural rigor, while simultaneously drawing the viewer into contemplative, illusionistic spaces that transcend the material surface of the canvas.

The exhibition concludes with the first U.S. presentation of Lee’s black paintings, including Nucleus 78-23, 78-24, 78-25 and 78-26 (all 1978). For Lee, black was not merely a color but a fundamental space of silence, stillness, and emptiness—where all elements were reduced to their origin. In Lee’s vocabulary, the nucleus signified not only the structural core of the image but a condensed field of visual and sensory perception. These works represent the culmination of his decades-long exploration of abstraction, characterized by their emphasis on materiality and process. Lee’s black paintings draw the viewer into a contemplative space where being and form quietly converge, embodying his pursuit of abstraction’s essential condition. 

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[1] Lee Seung Jio, “Presenting the Nucleus Series with Cold Lines and Blazes of Fire,” interview with Maeil Business Newspaper, October 24, 1984.

[2] Joan Kee, “Force Fields,” in Lee Seung Jio: Advancing Columns (Seoul: National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, 2020), 14-25.

TINA KIM GALLERY

525 West 21st Street, New York, NY 10011

tinakimgallery.com

Kosmos Klee. The Collection @ Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern - Permanent Exhibition with some 80 changing works from the collection

Kosmos Klee. The Collection

Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern 

Permanent Exhibition

Paul and Lily Klee with the cat Bimbo, 

Kistlerweg 6, Bern, 1935

Photo: Fee Meisel

Paul Klee

Ohne Titel (Villa am Langensee) 

[Untitled (Villa at the Langensee)], 1896

Watercolour on paper, 9,9 × 15 cm

Private collection, Switzerland, 

deposit at the Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern

Paul Klee

Ohne Titel (Rückenakt) [Nude from Behind], 1902

Pencil on paper on cardboard, 32,5 × 28,5 cm

Private collection, Switzerland, 

deposit at the Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern

The dynamic permanent exhibition devoted to Paul Klee invites visitors to immerse themselves in the life and work of this important modern artist. With some 80 changing works from the collection, Kosmos Klee offers a chronological survey of Klee’s artistic career. Biographical and archival material provide an insight into his life and time. In addition, the ‘focus room’ offers a space for smaller exhibitions devoted to individual aspects of Klee’s work, or contributions to the artist’s global reception.

Paul Klee

In den Häusern v. St. Germain 

[ In the Houses of St. Germain], 1914, 110

Watercolour on paper on cardboard

15,5 × 15,9/16,3 cm

Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern, donation of Livia Klee

Paul Klee

Tunesische Scizze [Tunisian Sketch], 1914, 212

Watercolour and pencil on paper on cardboard

17,9 × 12,2 cm

Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern, donation of Livia Klee

Paul Klee

Ohne Titel (Fabrikanlage) 

[Untitled (Factory Plant)], 1922

Watercolour and pencil on paper on cardboard

10 × 8,9 cm

Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern, donation of Livia Klee

Zentrum Paul Klee: The collection

The Zentrum Paul Klee is the world’s most important centre for research into Paul Klee’s life and work, and has one of the most significant collections of the artist’s drawings, watercolours and paintings. Paul Klee was primarily a draughtsman, which is why 80% of the collection of the Zentrum Paul Klee consists of works on paper, matching the collected works. Because of the fragility of the works as well as the large size and diversity of the collection, only parts of it can be displayed at once. Paul Klee enjoyed experimenting, not only in terms of content and form but also technically, using light-sensitive paints, inks and papers. For that reason the works need periods of rest between periods on display.

Paul Klee

Karneval im Gebirge 

[Carnival in the Mountains], 1924, 114

Watercolour on primed paper on cardboard

24 × 31,3 cm

Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern

Paul Klee

Fische im Kreis [Fishes in a Circle], 1926, 140

Oil and tempera on primed muslin on cardboard

42 × 43 cm

Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern, donation of Livia Klee

Paul Klee

Nordzimmer [North Room], 1932, 17

Watercolour on paper on cardboard

37 × 55 cm

Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern

Kosmos Klee

With Kosmos Klee. The Collection the Zentrum Paul Klee offers visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in Paul Klee’s life and work, as well as in the unique collection of the institution. Some 80 rotating and chronologically organised works provide an overview of Klee’s artistic development, from the highly detailed early works via tendencies towards abstraction and the discovery of colour, to the reduced pictorial language of the later work. Each decade of Klee’s artistic career is identified by a colour in the exhibition, allowing visitors to find their way intuitively around the space. Brief introductory texts, biographical photographs and films give deeper insights into the different phases of the work and Paul Klee’s engagement with the people around him.

Paul Klee

Doppel gesicht [Double face], 1933, 383

Coloured pastel and pencil on paper on cardboard

33 × 21 cm

Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern, donation of Livia Klee

Paul Klee

Spätes Glühen [Late Glowing], 1934, 29

Pastel on damask on cardboard

26,8 x 32,5/34,3 cm

Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern, donation of Livia Klee

Aside from his works, the Zentrum Paul Klee also preserves the artist’s archive. In the dynamic permanent exhibition, different treasures from the archive are presented, revealing the various aspects of Paul Klee’s life. His love of music is reflected in his record collection and the scores that Paul Klee, a gifted violinist, played from. Klee’s favourite music can be heard as part of a podcast in the exhibition. Parts of the artist’s collection of natural materials, including shells, stones and pages from herbariums, display Klee’s close relationship with nature and natural processes. Other objects include his watercolour box, his schoolbooks, scribbled over with drawings, as well as letters.

Curator: Fabienne Eggelhöfer

And Cover Star Klee, Paul Klee Artworks on Book Covers Exhibition, Through September 14, 2025.

ZENTRUM PAUL KLEE

Monument im Fruchtland 3, 3006 Bern 

zpk.org

Kandinsky and Italy @ MA*GA Museum, Gallarate, Italy - Kandinsky e l'Italia @ Museo MA*GA, Gallarate

Kandinsky and Italy

Kandinsky e l'Italia

MA*GA Museum, Gallarate

Museo MA*GA, Gallarate

November 30, 2025 - April 12, 2026

In italiano qui sotto

ENRICO PRAMPOLINI

Composizione, 1950

Oil on masonite

MAGA Museum Collection, Gallarate

From 30 November 2025 to 12 April 2026, the MA*GA in Gallarate (VA) hosts a large retrospective revolving around the figure of Vassily Kandinsky, one of the pioneers of abstract art.

The exhibition focuses on the centrality of the Russian master's work and thought in relation to the European scene and, in particular, to the great season of Italian abstraction that developed between the 1930s and 1950s.

The exhibition recounts the birth of abstract art and its evolution in Europe and Italy, whose influences are still alive and well in contemporary art today. This journey through masterpieces from the MA*GA Museum and the Galleria Internazionale d'Arte Moderna di Ca' Pesaro, enriched by prestigious loans from public and private collections, showcases works by artists such as Paul Klee, Enrico Prampolini, Mario Radice, Atanasio Soldati, and Emilio Vedova.

Curated by Emma Zanella and Elisabetta Barisoni, designed and produced by the MA*GA Museum and the Galleria Internazionale d'Arte Moderna di Ca' Pesaro (VE).

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Dal 30 novembre 2025 al 12 aprile 2026, il MA*GA di Gallarate (VA) accoglie un’ampia retrospettiva che ruota attorno alla figura di Vassily Kandinsky, uno dei pionieri dell’arte astratta.

Curata da Emma Zanella ed Elisabetta Barisoni, progettata e realizzata dal Museo MA*GA e dalla Galleria Internazionale d’Arte Moderna di Ca’ Pesaro (VE), la mostra dal titolo Kandinsky e l’Italia si concentrerà sulla centralità dell’opera e del pensiero del maestro russo in relazione alla scena europea e, in particolare, alla grande stagione dell’astrattismo italiano che si è sviluppata tra gli anni trenta e gli anni cinquanta del Novecento.

Il percorso espositivo racconterà la nascita dell’arte astratta e la sua evoluzione europea e italiana, i cui esiti sono ancora oggi vivi e presenti nel linguaggio artistico contemporaneo, attraverso capolavori provenienti dai due musei, arricchiti da prestigiosi prestiti di collezioni pubbliche e private, di artisti quali Paul Klee, Enrico Prampolini, Mario Radice, Atanasio Soldati, Emilio Vedova.

MUSEO MA*GA

MA*GA MUSEUM

Fondazione Galleria d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea ‘Silvio Zanella’

Via Egidio De Magri 1, 21013 Gallarate (VA)

www.museomaga.it

Nigerian Modernism @ Tate Modern, London - This Major Exhibition traces the development of modern art in Nigeria with 50 artists and 250 artworks across 50 years

Nigerian Modernism 

Tate Modern, London

9 October 2025 - 11 May 2026

Uzo Egonu 

Stateless People an artist with beret, 1981

© The estate of Uzo Egonu. Private Collection

Ben Enwonwu

The Durbar of Eid-ul-Fitr, Kano, Nigeria, 1955

© Ben Enwonwu Foundation. Private Collection

Bruce Onobrakpeya,

The Last Supper, 1981

© Reserved. Tate Collection

Tate Modern presents the first UK exhibition to trace the development of modern art in Nigeria. Spanning a period from indirect colonial rule to national independence and beyond, Nigerian Modernism will celebrate an international network of artists who combined African and European traditions, creating a vibrant artistic legacy. The exhibition presents the work of over 50 artists across 50 years, from Ben Enwonwu to El Anatsui. They each responded to Nigeria’s evolving political and social landscape by challenging assumptions and imagining new futures, reclaiming Indigenous traditions to create a new African vision of Modernism. Featuring more than 250 works, including painting, sculpture, textile, ceramics and works on paper from institutions and private collections across Africa, Europe and the US, it offers a rare opportunity to encounter the creative forces who revolutionised modern art in Nigeria.

Nigerian Modernism - List of artists: Jonathan Adagogo Green, Tayo Adenaike, Jacob Afolabi, Adebisi Akanji, Justus D. Akeredolu, Jimo Akolo, El Anatsui, Chike C. Aniakor, Abayomi Barber, Georgina Beier, Alexander “Skunder” Boghossian, Jimoh Buraimoh, Avinash Chandra, Nike Davies-Okundaye, Ndidi Dike, Uzo Egonu, Ibrahim El-Salahi, Afi Ekong, Erhabor Emokpae, Ben Enwonwu, Sir Jacob Epstein, Clara Etso Ugbodaga-Ngu, Okpu Eze, Adebisi Fabunmi, Agboola Folarin, Buraimoh Gbadamosi, Sàngódáre Gbádégesin Àjàlá, Yusuf Grillo, Felix Idubor, Solomon Irein Wangboje, Ladi Kwali, Akinola Lasekan, Jacob Lawrence, Valente Malangatana, Naoko Matsubara, Demas Nwoko, Olu Oguibe, Rufus Ogundele, J.D Ojeikere, Emmanuel Okechukwu Odita, Simon Okeke, Uche Okeke, Olowe of Ise, Asiru Olatunde, Lamidi Olonade Fakeye, Oseloka Okwudili Osadebe, Aina Onabolu, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Ben Osawe, Muraina Oyelami, Ru van Rossem, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Gerard Sekoto, Twins Seven Seven, Ahmad Shibrain, F.N. Souza, Ada Udechukwu, Obiora Udechukwu, Etso Clara Ugbodaga-Ngu, Susanne Wenger.

Ben Enwonwu 

The Dancer (Agbogho Mmuo - Maiden Spirit Mask) 1962 

© Ben Enwonwu Foundation, 

courtesy Ben Uri Gallery & Museum

The exhibition begins in the 1940s amid calls for decolonisation across Africa and its diaspora. With the Nigerian education system under British governance, many artists trained in Britain, adopting European artistic techniques and witnessing Western modernism’s fixation on African art. The balance between Nigeria’s Indigenous traditions, colonial realities and calls for independence was evident in the practices of artists, many of whom became involved in arts education and reform. Aina Onabolu pioneered new figurative portraits of Lagos society figures, whilst Akinola Lasekan depicted scenes from Yoruba legends and history. Globally celebrated artists of the period, Ben Enwonwu and Ladi Kwali, combined their Western training with Nigerian visual art traditions. Drawing upon his knowledge of Igbo sculpture, Ben Enwonwu adapted his Slade School education to celebrate the beauty of Black and African culture. Meanwhile, Ladi Kwali who trained under British potter Michael Cardew at Pottery Training Centre in Abuja, developed a new style of ceramic art that synthesised traditional Gwarri techniques and European studio pottery.

Jimo Akolo 

Fulani Horsemen, 1962

© Reserved. Courtesy Bristol Museum and Art Gallery

Clara Etso Ugbodaga-Ngu

Elemu Yoruba Palm Wine Seller, 1963

© Clara Etso Ugbodaga-Ngu. Hampton University Museum

National independence on 1 October 1960 inspired a sense of optimism throughout the country, with artistic groups creating art for a new nation. The exhibition will look at the legacy of The Zaria Arts Society whose members included Uche Okeke, Demas Nwoko, Yusuf Grillo, Bruce Onobrakpeya and Jimo Akolo. Encouraged by teachers like Clara Etso Ugbodaga-Ngu, they developed independent creative styles centred around a concept of ‘Natural Synthesis’, merging Indigenous forms with modern expression. In the 1960s amid an economic boom, Lagos became a dynamic cultural hub, inspiring tropical modernist architecture, public art commissions and nightclubs filled with Highlife music. Meanwhile in Ibadan, The Mbari Artists’ and Writers’ Club founded by German publisher Ulli Beier, offered a discursive space run by an international group of artists, writers and dramatists including Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, and Malangatana Ngwenya. The Mbari Club was closely associated with the influential Pan-African modernist journal Black Orpheus, which will be displayed at Tate Modern.

During this period, many artists reflected on Nigeria’s rich cultural and religious heritage as home to more than 250 ethnic groups. The late 1950s saw the emergence of the New Sacred Art Movement, founded by Austrian born artist Susanne Wenger who drew on Yoruba deities and beliefs to explore the ritual power of art. The group led the restoration of the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove where ancient shrines were adorned with cement sculptures and carvings. In parallel, The Oshogbo Art School emerged out of series of influential workshops at Duro Ladipo’s Popular Bar providing a space for experimentation among untrained artists and performers including Nike Davies-Okundaye, Jacob Afolabi and Twins Seven Seven who explored Yoruba cultural identity and personal mythologies in their work.

Obiora Udechukwu 

Our Journey, 1993 

© Obiora Udechukwu. Hood Museum of Art

The outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War in 1967 caused a cultural and political crisis for many artists. The post-independence feeling of optimism and unity were replaced with division, and later a desire to reconnect across Nigeria’s diverse ethnic groups. The exhibition looks to the revival of ‘uli’ - linear Igbo designs which can be decorative or represent natural elements and everyday objects. Historically passed down between women, artists like Uche Okeke who had inherited this knowledge from his mother, and those from the Nsukka Art School including Obiora Udechukwu, Tayo Adenaike and Ndidi Dike, adapted this visual language as a modernist art form, reclaiming an element of ancestral culture and reflecting on the struggles of conflict during the war.

Uzo Egonu

Northern Nigerian Landscape, 1964

© The estate of Uzo Egonu. Tate

Uzo Egonu 

Women in Grief, 1968 

© The estate of Uzo Egonu. Tate

The exhibition ends with a spotlight on Uzo Egonu, exploring how artists towards the end of the 20th century began to respond to global Nigerian identities. Living in Britain since the 1940s, Uzo Egonu’s work was informed by his perspective as an expatriate, creating works imbued by his childhood memories and feelings of nostalgia, as well as his response to current events, observed from overseas. The exhibition brings together Uzo Egonu’s Stateless People paintings, the first time these works have been reunited in 40 years. Begun in 1980, the series reflects on questions of nationhood and cultural identity. Depicting a single figure in each painting - a musician, artist and writer - Uzo Egonu represents the growing visibility of Nigeria’s diaspora around the world. The series sums up the tension between national identity and artistic independence which shaped Nigeria’s story of modern art.

Nigerian Modernism is curated by Osei Bonsu, Curator, International Art, Tate Modern and Bilal Akkouche, Assistant Curator, International Art, Tate Modern.

TATE MODERN

Bankside, London SE1 9TG

www.tate.org.uk

Crossing Borders: Modern Art from South Asia. A Landmark Selling Exhibition @ Phillips, London

Crossing Borders: Modern Art from South Asia 

A Landmark Selling Exhibition

Phillips, London

10 – 31 July, 2025

Viswanadhan (b. 1940)

Sans titre, 2001

Courtesy of Phillips

Sayed Haider Raza (1922-2016)

Bindu-Temps-Espace, 1988

Courtesy of Phillips

PhillipsX, in collaboration with Grosvenor Gallery, Europe’s leading gallery for South Asian art, announces Crossing Borders: Modern Art from South Asia. Coinciding with an unprecedented institutional focus on South Asian art across London this year, from the Barbican to the Royal Academy, Serpentine Galleries, and Frieze Cork Street, Crossing Borders offers collectors and audiences a rare opportunity to experience and acquire significant works by artists who shaped Modernism across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. This landmark selling exhibition will be on view to the public from 10 to 31 July at Phillips Berkeley Square, London.

Crossing Borders explores how artists responded to the seismic shifts of independence, partition, and post-colonial realignment by developing new visual languages – rejecting colonial paradigms and embracing contemporary materials, ideologies, and forms. Highlighted artists include F.N. Souza, S.H. Raza, M.F. Husain, Bhupen Khakhar, Ram Kumar, Rasheed Araeen, A.R. Chughtai, Syed Sadequain, George Keyt, Lain Singh Bangdel, Balraj Khanna, Mohan Samant, Ismail Gulgee, and Velu Viswanadhan.

Yassaman Ali, Director of Middle East & South Asia Regions at Phillips, said, “The current celebration of South Asian art marks a significant cultural moment – one that Phillips is proud to celebrate and participate in. Crossing Borders honours a region whose artistic voices are finally receiving the global recognition they deserve, both institutionally and commercially. We are proud to partner with Grosvenor Gallery to present this captivating body of work. We wish for the exhibition to serve as a platform to engage and inspire a diverse group of international collectors, to explore and champion the artists pioneering the narrative of South Asian Modernism.”

Conor Macklin and Charles Moore, Grosvenor Gallery, said, “We are very happy to be partnering with Phillips on what’s shaping up to be a fantastic exhibition — the scale of the show has allowed us to be especially ambitious with our selection. We have worked hard to bring in fresh works by artists from across the region, and we hope the visual dialogue between the pieces will encourage viewers to engage with artists they may not have considered before. We’re also fortunate that the exhibition coincides with a number of remarkable institutional shows of South Asian material, and we hope ours adds meaningfully to this moment.”

A major highlight of Crossing Borders is Sans titre, painted in 2001 by Paris-based Indian artist Velu Viswanadhan (b. 1940), whose practice bridges Indian spiritual traditions and Western abstraction. His recent solo presentation at Sharjah Biennial 16: to carry, featured over 40 works spanning five decades. Viswanadhan’s visual language is rooted in the sacred geometry of yantras and mandalas, offering a contemplative counterpoint to the political and material explorations of his peers.

Formed in Bombay in 1947, the Progressive Artists’ Group catalysed a radical new direction for Indian art. Among its founders, Francis Newton Souza emerged as a singular force. His bold explorations of identity, religion, and colonial legacies earned him early international acclaim, including participation in the 1955 and 2024 Venice Biennales. With works held by Tate Britain and NGMA New Delhi, and record-breaking auction results in 2024–25, Souza’s relevance remains undeniable.

Maqbool Fida Husain 

Horses and Blue Sun, 1969

Courtesy of Phillips

Another key member, Maqbool Fida Husain (1915-2011), often called the “Picasso of India,” has seen a surge in market interest. In 2025, the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art presented The Rooted Nomad: M.F. Husain at the Venice Biennale. His work is held in major collections including LACMA, the V&A, and KNMA, cementing his enduring influence. In 2025, his 1954 painting Gram Yatra set the auction record for South Asian art of $13.75 million.

Lancelot Ribeiro

The Search, 1967

Courtesy of Phillips

Lancelot Ribeiro (1933-2010), half-brother to F.N. Souza, is enjoying a resurgence as institutions and collectors rediscover his vibrant expressionist works. Though not a member of the Progressive Artists’ Group, Ribeiro’s practice was shaped by its ethos and by his close connection with Souza. His legacy bridges Indian and British modernism, with works in the collections of Tate Britain and the V&A.

Abdur Rahman Chughtai

Untitled (Mughal Princess), circa 1960

Courtesy of Phillips

From Pakistan, Abdur Rahman Chughtai (1897-1975) is one of the foundational figures of modern South Asian art, celebrated for his distinctive fusion of Mughal miniature styles with Art Deco and modernist influences. Featured prominently in the MANZAR exhibition at the National Museum of Qatar, Chughtai’s work has received renewed acclaim. In 2025, the 50th anniversary of his death was honoured with a commemorative postage stamp. His art is held in global institutions including the British Museum, the V&A, and the United Nations.

Syed Sadequain 

Three Figures, 1967

Courtesy of Phillips

Syed Sadequain (1930-1987), another leading modernist from Pakistan, is known for his striking fusion of calligraphy and figuration. His inclusion in the 2024 Venice Biennale’s Central Pavilion underscored his growing international recognition.

PHILLIPS

30 Berkeley Square, London W1J 6EX

www.phillips.com

The Making of Modern Korean Art: The Letters of Kim Tschang-Yeul, Kim Whanki, Lee Ufan, and Park Seo-Bo, 1961–1982 @ Tina Kim Gallery, New York

The Making of Modern Korean Art 

The Letters of Kim Tschang-Yeul, Kim Whanki, Lee Ufan, and Park Seo-Bo, 1961–1982

Tina Kim Gallery, New York

May 5 - June 21, 2025

Tina Kim Gallery presents The Making of Modern Korean Art: The Letters of Kim Tschang-Yeul, Kim Whanki, Lee Ufan, and Park Seo-Bo, 1961–1982. Organized in conjunction with the launch of a landmark new publication of the same title, the exhibition brings to life the personal and intellectual exchanges between four pioneering artists who shaped the trajectory of modern Korean art during the transformative decades following the Korean War. Through the presentation of significant paintings made by all four artists during this period, as well as archival materials, photography, and ephemera, the exhibition will make manifest the artistic dialogues and debates that guided the global emergence of Korean modern art.

In the aftermath of the Korean War (1950–53), amid political upheaval and limited institutional support, Korean artists faced the urgent challenge of redefining their cultural landscape and articulating their collective trauma and existential dislocation. Many turned to abstraction as a means of forging a distinctly Korean modernity, one that resisted both Western ideologies and inherited aesthetic traditions. Among Korea’s earliest abstractionists, Kim Whanki evolved from semi-abstracted depictions of moon jars and plum blossoms to the sublime all-over dot paintings of his New York period, blending a Korean sensibility with global avant-garde influences. Park Seo-Bo and Kim Tschang-Yeul, deeply influenced by European Informel, produced early works characterized by thick impasto, raw surfaces, and material experimentation. This shared language laid the foundation for their later iconic series: Kim Tschang-Yeul turned to the meditative precision of his Waterdrop series, reflecting Taoist principles of ego dissolution; while Park Seo-Bo developed his Ecriture series, defined by its monochromatic palette and a rigorous focus on repetition, process, and discipline. Lee Ufan, initially a key figure in the Mono-ha movement in Japan, transitioned in the early 1970s to his From Point and From Line series, merging material restraint with philosophical inquiry in simple, deliberate brush strokes that evoke Eastern calligraphy. By the mid-1970s, each artist had developed a singular visual idiom: distinct yet unified by a shared ambition to advance Korean art on the global stage. Key works from these formative series will be featured in the forthcoming exhibition.

Though geographically dispersed, the four artists remained closely connected through a decades-long correspondence. In the absence of a robust cultural infrastructure in Korea, their letters became essential conduits for critical exchange, exhibition planning, and mutual support. Park Seo-Bo and Kim Tschang-Yeul, lifelong friends and collaborators, played a pivotal role in organizing the second Hyundae Fine Art Exhibition in 1957 and corresponded tirelessly to coordinate Korea’s participation in the 1961 Paris Biennale. Lee Ufan and Park Seo-Bo, who began exchanging letters after their joint inclusion in a 1968 group exhibition in Tokyo, became key mediators between the Korean and Japanese art scenes; and Kim Whanki, a generation older, served as a mentor figure, encouraging Kim Tschang-Yeul to apply for Rockefeller Fellowship funding that ultimately brought him to New York in 1965. From Seoul, Tokyo, Paris, and New York, the four artists exchanged ideas, critiques, and reflections on both the practical and philosophical challenges of working from the periphery of the global art world. Their letters not only offer an unprecedented window into their artistic development but also reveal a collective commitment to building a Korean modernism that could engage—on its own terms—with the broader narratives of postwar art.

The Making of Modern Korean Art foregrounds these correspondences—newly translated, previously unpublished, and reproduced at actual size—as critical primary documents in the story of Korean modernism. Published by Gregory R. Miller & Co., the book is co-edited by Yeon Shim Chung, Professor of Art History and Theory at Hongik University, and Doryun Chong, Artistic Director and Chief Curator of M+, Hong Kong, and features a contribution by Kyung An, Curator of Asian Art at The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Beyond the letters, the volume marks a major contribution to the field as a comprehensive English-language survey of Korean abstraction, spanning the period from the birth of Korean Informel to the formation of Dansaekhwa.

TINA KIM GALLERY

525 West 21st Street, New York, NY 10011

tinakimgallery.com

City of Others: Asian Artists in Paris, 1920s-1940s @ National Gallery Singapore - A Major Exhibition

City of Others 

Asian Artists in Paris, 1920s-1940s

National Gallery Singapore

2 April - 17 August 2025

Itakulla Kanae 

《赤衣の女》(Woman in Red Dress), 1929 

Oil on canvas, 116.8 x 80.3 cm 

Collection of Matsudo City Board of Education 

Image courtesy of Matsudo City Board of Education.

Yun Gee 

《莫伯特广场》Place Maubert, 1929 

Oil on canvas, 73 x 60 cm 

Private collection 

Image courtesy of Tina Keng Gallery 

National Gallery Singapore presents City of Others: Asian Artists in Paris, 1920s-1940s, the first major comparative exhibition dedicated to Asian artists in the French capital city during this dynamic period in modern art history. Challenging conventional art history narratives, this groundbreaking exhibition places Asian artists at the centre of focus, highlighting the relationship, interactions, and influences between the local and migrant artists, as well as the Parisian community. City of Others explores themes of identity, belonging, cultural exchange, creativity, and resilience through the lives of Asian artists who exhibited, worked, and lived in Paris as they navigated the culturally vibrant yet challenging time in interwar Paris.

Over 200 artworks – including paintings, sculptures, lacquerware, and decorative arts – along with 200 archival materials and images are on view at the Singtel Special Exhibition Gallery of the National Gallery Singapore, showcasing the presence of Asian artists in Paris during a period of global migration. City of Others offers visitors a glimpse into the experiences of these artists, highlighting their diverse journeys and creative exchanges. For the first time, visitors can uncover new connections and comparisons across diverse practices and perspectives.

Amrita Sher-Gil 

Untitled (Woman Wearing Shawl). c. 1932 

Oil on canvas, 42 x 33 cm 

Collection of the Dabriwala family

Mai Lan Phuong

Autoportait aux lunettes (Self-Portrait with Glasses), c. 1950 

Colours on silk, 45 × 32 cm 

Collection of Mai Lan Phuong

Dr Eugene Tan, Chief Executive Officer and Director of National Gallery Singapore says, “We are excited to present City of Others, a groundbreaking exhibition that challenges traditional assumptions in art historical narratives. As the Gallery celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, we seek to deepen our exploration of our region's art history within a global context by reframing narratives through a distinctly regional lens. City of Others continues our commitment to present fresh perspectives on modern art by highlighting often-overlooked figures who played important roles in shaping this significant period in art history. We are grateful for the support of our partners and sponsors who have made this exhibition possible.”

Delving into the stories of how Asian artists lived, worked and exhibited in Paris, City of Others examines what it meant to be the ‘other’. Spread across three gallery spaces in multiple sections – Preface, Workshop to the World, Theatre of the Colonies, Spectacle and Stage, Sites of Exhibition, Studio and Street, and Aftermaths – the exhibition examines the diverse experiences of these artists.

Examining the Asian artists’ experience in Paris

Georgette Chen 

Self Portrait, c.1923

Oil on Canvas. 35 x 27 cm 

Collection of National Gallery Singapore

The exhibition opens with Preface, introducing visitors to the different ways Asian artists in Paris, often regarded as ‘other’ or outsiders, presented themselves to European audiences. Through portraits and self-portraits by modern artists like Lê Phổ, Mai Trung Thứ, Georgette Chen, Liu Kang, and Pai Un-soung, visitors see how these artists used art to present themselves as creative individuals grappling with their identities as migrant artists while navigating public expectations and perceptions.

Cartier Paris

Portique gravity clock, 1927

Onyx (base), nephrite (columns and lintel), with platinum, 

gold, coral, jade, diamonds, rubies and enamel, 

23 x 12.1 x 7 cm, Cartier Collection 

Credit: Nils Herrmann, Cartier Collection 

© Cartier

Jean Dunand 

La forêt (Forest). 1930 

Gold and silver lacquer and hinges; 12 panels, total 300 x 600 cm 

Collection of Mobilier National 

Image courtesy of Mobilier National; 

Photo by Isabelle Bideau, GME-7196-000

Workshop to the World focuses on the growing presence of Asian artists and artisans who contributed to the Art Déco movement in Paris after the 1920s. This section highlights the active involvement of Asian artists in France’s decorative arts workshops, including artists who successfully sold and exhibited under their own names and those who remained uncredited workers. The influence of Asian artisans on the Art Déco movement is shown through jewellery and objects from the Cartier Collection (the heritage collection of the Maison), as well as lacquerwares from the atelier of leading designer Jean Dunand. Newly uncovered archival documentations reveal the profiles of highly skilled artisans and labourers from Vietnam who were part of Dunand’s atelier workforce.

Theatre of the Colonies, the second section, explores Paris as a simultaneous site for colonial propaganda and anti-colonial resistance through art and visual culture. Using stills from the International Colonial Exposition of 1931 as the exhibition backdrop, visitors are transported to the government-initiated Expositions, which showcased the products of colonial empires. This provided a platform for Asian artists to present their work to an international audience. At the same time, as the capital city of a sprawling French colonial empire, anti-colonial activists often displayed their resistance by employing images, texts, and exhibitions to expose the violence and exploitation in the colonies.

The third section expands the narrative beyond the visual arts to highlight the presence and influence of Asian dancers in Paris. Spectacle and Stage showcases the significance of Asian dance in the dynamic cultural scene of the 1920s to 1940s, exploring how dancers navigated accessibility, experimentation, and exoticism to find success in Paris. In a theatre-like setting, visitors may watch dance archives, film clips, and archival images of prominent dancers such as Raden Mas Jodjana from Indonesia, Komori Toshi from Japan, and Uday Shankar from India, who developed new dance forms during their time in Paris.

Lê Phổ 

Le peigne blanc (The White Comb), Undated 

Ink and colour on silk, 33.5 x 24 cm 

Collection of Sunseal Asia Limited 

Photo © Aguttes

Lê Phổ 

L'Âge heureux (The Happy Age). 1930 

Oil on canvas, 126 x 177 cm 

Private American collection 

Photo © Aguttes

Occupying the entirety of Singtel Special Exhibition Gallery 2, Sites of Exhibition delves into the diverse platforms through which Asian artists exhibited their works in Paris, including nationally themed exhibitions, commercial galleries, and salons. Being in Paris at the height of its public “salon” exhibitions offered these artists opportunities to exhibit their work, receive critical feedback, secure sales, and attract commissions. These exhibitions served as a stage for constructing narratives of identity balancing artistic expression with public appeal. The section also presents artworks originally displayed at special exhibitions of Japanese and Chinese modern art at the Jeu de Paume museum in Paris during the 1920s and 1930s.

Liu Kang 

View of Sacré-Coeur, 1931 

Gouache on paper, 25 × 16.5 cm 

Collection of the family of Liu Kang 

© Liu Kang Family

Montparnasse, which was known as an artistic hub in Paris, attracted artists and creatives from all over the world. Filled with art studios, informal art schools, and cafes, Asian artists would have had daily exchanges and interactions with other artists and creatives – many of whom were also migrants, often from other parts of Europe – such as Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani, and Moise Kisling. The fifth section, Studio and Street, highlights the impact that the bohemian social and artistic life of Montparnasse had on artists, notably Foujita Tsuguharu, who was a central figure in that scene. It also profiles several long-term artistic migrants to Paris – including Sanyu and Pan Yuliang – who also chose to settle in the Montparnasse area.

Sanyu 

《仰卧裸女》Reclining Pink Nude with Raised Arms, 1930s/1940s 

Oil on canvas, 80.5 x 129.5 cm 

Collection of Leo Shih 

Image courtesy of Leo Shih

The exhibition closes with Aftermaths which signals the impact of World War Two and subsequent decolonisation movements on the art world of Paris. Struck by the traumas of war, artists experimented with new visual language to break from the past, prompting a shift in artistic styles as artists reckoned with the cultural and geopolitical changes of the post-war world. Migrant artists sometimes faced difficult decisions about whether to return to their countries of origin. Meanwhile, decolonisation also brought a new energy to modernisms elsewhere in the world.

NATIONAL GALLERY SINGAPORE

1 St Andrew’s Road, Singapore 17895

www.nationalgallery.sg