WINTER 2026 Editorial

Winter 2026 | MORE FROM THIS ISSUE

*Sun, Moon and Five Peaks* (detail) by Korean court painters, 19th century, six-panel screen, ink and colour on paper, 160.3 x 291 cm (overall). National Museum of Korea. Photo © National Museum of Korea

THE BRITISH MUSEUM’S new exhibition, which opened on October 1st, 2026, explores 2000 years of Korean creativity. Featuring outstanding examples of sculpture, painting and decorative arts over two millennia—up to the present day— the exhibition presents the most comprehensive chronological survey of Korean visual and material culture seen in Europe for over forty years.

This major exhibition draws almost exclusively from the 23,000 works bequeathed in 2021 by Lee Kun-Hee, the late Samsung Group Chairman, to the National Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. Offering a dynamic journey through the art and material culture of the country, the exhibition includes many National Treasures, objects so designated for their exceptionally high quality and historical significance.

Sang-ah Kim, Curator of the Korean Collections at the British Museum and the author of this issue’s lead article, explained: “Most people, especially young people in the UK, know about Korea through its popular culture. They may not know Korea has a long history, over 2000 years of creativity, resilience and technical skill.”

Younger audiences may be surprised when they see Tiger and Magpies (illustrated on the cover of this issue) or Sun, Moon and Five Peaks if they have watched KPop Demon Hunters. The Netflix animated film draws on traditional Korean imagery, with the Tiger and Magpies painting inspiring the characters, Derpy the Tiger and Sussie the Magpie, and the fictional group, HUNTR/X, performing in front of a digital interpretation of a Sun, Moon and Five Peaks folding screen. This exhibition—a fascinating journey into the heart of Korea—runs until January 31st, 2027.

Asian Art in London 2026 runs from Thursday, October 29th to Tuesday, November 10th, 2026, featuring premier exhibitions, auctions and events across London. The 29th annual edition, chaired by Mark Slaats, continues to promote Asian arts, ranging from antique ceramics to contemporary works. Major auctions will be held across several prominent London salerooms, including Bonhams, Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Roseberys, Lyon & Turnbull and AstaGuru.

Participating galleries and auction houses in central London by district as follows: South Kensington and Belgravia (Saturday, October 31st), St James’s (Sunday, November 1st) and Mayfair (Monday, November 2nd).

Several major London museums are running concurrent headline shows in Autumn/Winter 2026. As mentioned earlier, the British Museum exhibition, “Korea: 2,000 Years of Creativity”, brings the Lee Kun-Hee Collection, one of the most significant collections of Korean art, to Europe for the first time.

Five-tiered food container, *jubako*, Meiji period, late 19th/early 20th century, gold and coloured lacquers, *maki-e*. Simon Pilling

Exhibition and a book launch for the *1935 The International Exhibition of Chinese Art.* Eskenazi Ltd

“Urushi Now: Contemporary Japanese Lacquer” will be on show at the Victoria and Albert Museum until April 30th, 2027. This exhibition celebrates the 40th anniversary of the V&A’s Toshiba Gallery of Japanese Art by presenting lacquer as a living contemporary medium. Curated by Masami Yamada, it brings together leading practitioners from different generations and regions of Japan. Urushi is made from the sap of the lacquer tree. The material is refined, applied in numerous thin layers and cured under controlled conditions of warmth and humidity. Each layer may require further polishing before the next is added, making the process slow, technically demanding and difficult to reverse.

I would also like to mention the exhibition, “An Enamel Revolution: China and the World”, at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge (October 20th, 2026 to February 21st, 2027). The fusion of art, technology and international trade pushed the boundaries of enamel decoration in China from the 17th century onwards. From bowls and bottles to teapots and tableware, intricately detailed, technically innovative and visually striking enamelled objects are on display while the exhibition explains how this art form was elevated to new heights. The exhibition explores the ways Chinese workshops developed new techniques for enamelling objects made of porcelain and glass, as well as copper, before adapting Chinese products for export to Europe.

Finally, I would like to wish everyone all the best for the upcoming holiday season. Let me also recommend that readers regularly visit our website (www.artsofasia.com), and especially the calendar, which provides a comprehensive, global schedule of museum exhibitions, gallery showcases and cultural events focusing on Asian art and antiques.