Su Kwak is a Korean-American artist who is esteemed for her atmospheric abstract landscapes. Kwak’s work is included in the permanent collections of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Korea and other noted museums. Kwak is represented by June Kelly Gallery in Soho, New York City.

Born in Busan, Korea, Kwak moved to the United States where she attended college at the University of St. Thomas in Houston and later completed her MFA with honors at the University of Chicago. Kwak has had numerous solo and group exhibitions including a traveling retrospective at the Brauer Museum of Art and the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art.

2023

Su Kwak: Crossing Boundaries, June Kelly Gallery, New York City

2019

Su Kwak: Cosmic Light Series, Brauer Museum of Art, Valparaiso University, Indiana

Su Kwak: Light Cycles, June Kelly Gallery, New York City

Circles of Light, HK Art and Antiques Gallery, New York City

2016

Cosmic Light, June Kelly Gallery, New York City

2012-
2013

Su Kwak: Light Journey: An Odyssey in Paint, 
Brauer Museum of Art, Valparaiso University, Indiana;
traveled to the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon, Eugene, catalogue

2009

Light and Time: New Paintings, Sun Art Center, Sun Gallery, Seoul, Korea; catalogue

Light and Time: New Paintings, June Kelly Gallery, New York City; catalogue

2006

Healing Light, Sun Art Center, Sun Gallery, Seoul, Korea; catalogue

2004

Healing Light, June Kelly Gallery, New York City; catalogue

2002

Light Series, Jean Art Gallery, Seoul, Korea; catalogue

2001

Beyond Light Series, Ellen Kim Murphy Gallery, Seoul, Korea; catalogue

2000

Recent Paintings, Korean Cultural Center, Washington, DC

Recent Paintings, University of Maryland Gallery, College Park, Maryland

1997

Double Vision,Gallery Korea, Korean Cultural Center, New York City

1996

Divided Light Series, Sun Gallery, Seoul, Korea; catalogue

1993

Recent Paintings, Humphrey Gallery, New York City

Visions of East and West, University of Maryland Gallery, College Park, Maryland

1992

Light Passages, Gallery Korea, Korean Cultural Center, New York City

Inner Light Series, New York Academy of Sciences; traveled to: 
University of Chicago, Midway Gallery, Chicago
International House Club, World Trade Center, New Orleans
American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, DC

1986

Recent Paintings, Jan Cicero Gallery, Chicago

1983

The Burning Bush Series, Ward-Nasse Gallery, New York City

1982

The Burning Bush Series, Elmhurst College Gallery, Elmhurst, Illinois

1979

MFA Exhibitions, Midwest Studio Gallery, Universe of Chicago

2024

The Women of the June Kelly Gallery, June Kelly Gallery, New York City

2023

Figures and Flowers HK Art and Antiques Gallery, New York City (March 16 - 24)

2020

Time of Peace: Works by Women Artists, HK Art and Antiques Gallery, New York City

2019

HK May Group Exhibition, HK Art and Antiques Gallery, New York City

2018

Life of Women, HK Art and Antiques Gallery, New York City

2017

Celebrating 30 Years, Gallery Artists: Drawings and Photographs at June Kelly Gallery

East Meets West in New York, HK Art and Antiques Gallery, New York City

Life Movement, HK Art and Antiques Gallery, New York City

2016

Collateral Damage, The Anya and Andrew Shiva Gallery, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York

2015

The Sun Shines for Us All, Brauer Museum of Art, Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, IN

Chosen Homeland: Searching for Women’s Identity & Unity, the Korean Cultural Center, Washington, DC

Love & Healing, MK Gallery, Vienna, Virginia

2014

New Art Collection, curated by Marsha Ralls, Marriott Marquis Hotel, Washington, DC

2012

Celebrating 25 Years, June Kelly Gallery, New York City

2011

20 Years, 20 Artists, The Ralls Collection, Washington, DC

Spread Your Vision Invitational, Ewha Art Gallery, Seoul, Korea

2010

Featured Artists, Andrews Art Museum, Andrews, North Carolina

First International Flag Festival, Jeolla Province, Korea

33rd Anniversary 330 Artists, Sun Art Center, Sun Gallery, Seoul, Korea

2009

Gallery Artists, Sun Art Center-Sun Gallery, Seoul, Korea

2007

Pure and High: Lee Gyuill Collection, Lee’s Gallery, Seoul, Korea

New Acquisitions 2006, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea

Art DC International Art Fair, Gallery Athena-Paris, Washington, DC

2006

The 1st Art & Welfare International Design Invitation, Gongju National Museum, Gongju, Korea

2005

Festival of World Written Languages: 5th World Calligraphy Biennale, Jeollabuk-do, Korea

2004

A Universe of Art, organized by Corporate Art Directions, Credit Suisse First Boston, New York City

2003

Art for Art‘s Sake, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC

New Acquisitions, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea

4th World Calligraphy Biennale of Jeollabuk-do, Korea

100 Year Anniversary of Korean Immigration to America, L.A. Hyun Gallery, Los Angeles

Contemporary Korean and Japanese Paintings, Jean Art Gallery, Seoul, Korea

Meditation, Gallery Light, Seoul, Korea

2002

100 Artists’ Show, Gallery Light, Seoul, Korea

An Exhibition of Contemporary American Art in the Residence of Ambassador and Mrs. Thomas C. Hubbard, Art in Embassies Program, Seoul, Korea

2001

24th Anniversary Show, Sun Gallery, Seoul, South Korea

2000

Seoul Art Fair, Seoul Arts Center, represented by Sun Gallery, Seoul, South Korea

1999

Contemporary American Women Artists, Art in Embassies Program, US Department of State, Embassy to the Conference on Disarmament, Geneva, Switzerland

Eat Art, Steinbaum Krauss Gallery, New York City

New Wind: Korean American Artists Rockville Art Place, Maryland,
traveled to the Maryland Art Place, Baltimore, Maryland, curated by Jack Rasmussen

1998

Six Artists, Myung Sook Lee Gallery, New York City

Contemporary American Art, Art in Embassies Program, Seoul, Korea

Asian American Women Artists, New World Art Center, New York City, curated By Norma Cohen

Korean American Artists, University College Arts Gallery, University of Maryland College Park, curated by Deena Crosso

1997

20th Year Anniversary Show, Sun Gallery, Seoul, Korea

Summer Group Show, Marisa del Re Gallery, New York City

1996

Seoul International Art Fair '96, Seoul, Korea

Visions of the Next Generation, Seoul Arts Center Museum, Korea

Summer Group Show, Marisa del Re Gallery, New York City

1995

A Celebration of Ten Years of the Art of Science and Technology,  American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, DC, curated by Jeannette Murray,

Introductions, Kouros Gallery, New York City

Inaugural Exhibition, The American Center for Physics, College Park, Maryland

1994

Holiday Group Show, Kouros Gallery, New York City

Gallery Artists, Sylvia Schmidt Gallery, New Orleans

Art from America, Artempo Gallery, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Members' Gallery Show, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York

1993

Summer Group Show, Marisa del Re Gallery, New York City

111 International Artists for Peace, Gallery Bhak, Seoul, Korea

Building Bridges, International Monetary Fund Art Gallery, Washington, DC

1992

The Landscape: Subject of Renewed Scrutiny, Foster Gallery, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

Journeys, Martin Luther King Library, Washington, DC

1991

Tenth Annual Juried Exhibition, of The Fine Arts Museum of Long Island, Hempstead, New York, juried by Caroline-Adler, Grace Borgenicht Gallery, New York City

Global Color, Women's Caucus for the Arts, Washington, DC

International Exhibition, George Mason University Gallery, Arlington, Virginia

1990

International Artists Show, Martin Luther King Library, Washington, DC

1989

Gallery Artists and Invitational, Katharina Rich Perlow Gallery, New York City

China-June 4, 1989, Blum-Helman Gallery, New York City

1988

Three Rivers Arts Festival, Pittsburgh, juried by Marge Goldwater of the Walker Art Center

5th Annual Open Studio: Ten Chinatown Art Exhibition, Asian-American Arts Centre, New York City

1987

Gallery Group Show, B.R. Kornblatt Gallery, Washington, DC

1986

Exuberant Abstraction, Jan Cicero Gallery, Chicago

1985

Chicago Artists Show, Xerox Center, Chicago

1984

Inaugural Show of Gallery Artists, Jan Cicero Gallery, Chicago

A Pebble for Peace, North Park Gallery, Chicago

1983

Art from Henry Street, City Gallery, New York Cultural Center, New York City

1982

Annual Juried Exhibition '82, of The Queens Museum, New York City, juried by April Kingsley of the Sculpture Center,

Fifty Views of Art, Cork Gallery, Lincoln Center, New York City

The Visual Arts at Henry Street, Henry Street Settlement Arts for Living Center, New York City

Christmas Show, Ward-Nasse Gallery, New York City 

Art from Henry Street, Kingsborough Community College Art Gallery, Brooklyn, New York City

1981

Annual Juried Exhibition, St. John's University Art Gallery, Jamaica, NY

2000

Award from the Republic of Korea for contributions to the advancement of Korean culture overseas

1998

Individual Artist Award, Maryland State Arts Council

1982

Artist-in-Residence, Henry Street Settlement Arts for Living Center, New York City

1980

Fairweather-Hardin Gallery Prize for “excellence in the fine arts” from The University of Chicago