Valley art fans are getting a major international flex this fall, as Phoenix Art Museum prepares a wide-ranging exhibition of South Korean master Kim Chong Hak in its Steele Gallery. Opening Sept. 9, 2026 and running through Feb. 21, 2027, the survey zeroes in on his decades-long obsession with Mount Seorak and tracks his evolution from spare, 1960s abstraction to the densely worked, exuberant landscapes that made him a star.
Dates, venue and local details
The exhibition is listed by the museum as a special-engagement presentation in Steele Gallery, with programming to be announced as opening day gets closer. According to the Phoenix Art Museum, the run is set for Sept. 9, 2026 through Feb. 21, 2027, and the presentation is coordinated by Colin Pearson, Curator of Asian Art. The listing also notes that press resources and related events will roll out on the museum’s site.
Organized by the High Museum
The touring survey was organized by Atlanta’s High Museum of Art, which staged the first U.S. museum exhibition of Kim’s work. As detailed by the High Museum of Art, the Atlanta show brought together more than 70 works, and that presentation will travel to Phoenix this fall. “Kim is an artist who is beloved in Korea but whose recognition in the United States is long overdue,” High director Rand Suffolk said in the release.
What to expect inside
Inside Steele Gallery, visitors can expect a mix of large canvases, intimate studies and objects drawn from Kim’s personal collection rather than a small sampler. The exhibition includes drawings and sketchbooks stretching from the 1970s to the present, along with a group of recent botanical studies on traditional hanji paper, plus an introductory biographical film by Jung Dawoon and Kim Jongshin. According to the Phoenix Art Museum, the PhxArt presentation is coordinated locally and supported through a combination of gift and in-kind underwriting.
Standout works
Press images from the High spotlight pieces such as Snowy Mountain (2008) and Moon (2013), works that capture Kim’s saturated palette and his tactile approach to surface. The High’s press-room gallery lists both titles and provides images for media, a strong hint of what is expected to appear on the tour. See press images from the High Museum of Art.
Why it matters for the Valley
Landing a touring retrospective of this scale in Steele Gallery boosts Phoenix’s access to global art conversations and couples visual punch with serious scholarship. For collectors, students and casual museumgoers, it is a rare opportunity to experience a major Korean painter whose work is not often seen outside Asia. Museum hours and ticketing details will appear on the PhxArt calendar as the opening approaches.
