Hoam Art Museum's 'Like a Lotus' Exhibition Surpasses 60,000 Visitors... Samsung "Three Generations of Art Contribution"

Exhibition of 92 Masterpieces from 27 Global Collections
47 Works Visiting Korea for the First Time
"Noblesse Oblige Across Three Generations"

Samsung announced on the 4th that the number of visitors to the Ho-Am Art Museum's Buddhist Art Special Exhibition "Like a Lotus Unstained by Mud" has surpassed 60,000.

Hoam Art Museum 'Like a Lotus Flower That Does Not Stain in Mud' Special Exhibition White Porcelain Buddha Statue Panorama. [Photo by Samsung Electronics]

"Like a Lotus" is the Ho-Am Art Museum's first ancient art special exhibition since its renovation last year. It is the world's first exhibition to seriously spotlight Buddhist art from Korea, Japan, and China through the keyword "women."

The "Gilt-bronze Standing Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva," known as the Smile of Baekje, borrowed from an overseas private collector, is being shown to the public in Korea for the first time. The "Najeon Gukdangcho Patterned Sutra Box" from the Goryeo Dynasty, a national treasure-level work, is a masterpiece with only six pieces remaining worldwide.

Works donated by Samsung's former chairman Lee Kun-hee to the National Museum of Korea, such as "Bulsul Daebo Bumo Eunjoonggyeong," "Royal Court Buddhist Painting," and "Embroidered Amitabha Buddha Painting," are also on display. These donations from former chairman Lee Kun-hee have returned to the museum founded by Samsung's founder Lee Byung-chul and are exhibited side by side with world-class masterpieces in this world-first special exhibition.

Four pieces owned by the Samsung Foundation of Culture, including "Gamdigeumni Myobeop Yeonhwagyeong Volumes 1-7," "Amitabha Buddha Triad Painting," "Amitabha Buddha Painting," and "Shakyamuni Buddha Preaching Painting," were also revealed to the public for the first time through this exhibition.

The Ho-Am Art Museum spent five years planning and organizing this special exhibition. Unlike the usual case of borrowing one or two important works from overseas, this time 92 Buddhist art pieces from 27 collections located in Korea, Japan, the United States, and Europe were gathered in one place. Forty-seven of these works have entered Korea for the first time.

The special exhibition opened on March 27. The average daily number of visitors exceeded 1,000. It will close on the 16th. A Samsung official said, "This is a rare special exhibition that marks a new milestone in Korean Buddhist art exhibitions, attracting not only art experts but also general visitors."

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong also visited the exhibition five times with key foreign guests. Chairman Lee personally demonstrated a digital magnifier that allows detailed viewing of the "Gamdigeumni Myobeop Yeonhwagyeong" to the group accompanying him.

Experts also highly praised the special exhibition. Professor Lee Sol of the Department of Art at the State University of New York at Stony Brook said, "The spatial production, which has not been seen in Buddhist art exhibitions, was very impressive," adding, "The curved presentation of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva followed by the space divided by straight lines featuring the white porcelain Buddha statue (White Porcelain Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva) was fresh, like viewing a contemporary art gallery."

The nobility of obligation spanning three generations?founder Lee Byung-chul, former chairman Lee Kun-hee, and Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong?is credited with contributing to enhancing the public's "right to cultural enjoyment."

The Ho-Am Art Museum opened on April 22, 1982, based on the art collection amassed over more than 30 years by Samsung founder Lee Byung-chul. It was established to collect and protect national cultural heritage that was at risk of being lost or scattered overseas. Lee Byung-chul donated 1,167 cultural properties (including about 10 national treasures and treasures) to the Samsung Foundation of Culture in 1978.

Former chairman Lee Kun-hee also worked to preserve cultural heritage by collecting national treasure-level cultural assets and works by famous domestic artists through the "Lee Kun-hee Collection." In 2021, Lee Jae-yong and other family members donated about 23,000 pieces from the personal collection that Lee Kun-hee had amassed throughout his life for cultural heritage preservation to institutions such as the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and the National Museum of Korea.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.