▲ Park Soo Keun's Waikiki  currently on display as part of the "Korean Treasures from the Chester and Cameron Chang Collection" exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has come under fire from Korean art experts after several paintings by late Korean artists Lee Jung-seob and Park Soo-keun, exhibited at the museum, were labeled as fakes.

On Monday, LACMA’s director Michael Govan announced that the museum would cancel the publication of the catalogue for the exhibition “Korean Treasures from the Chester and Cameron Chang Collection.”

The exhibition, which ran for four months and concluded on Sunday, had been under suspicion for the authenticity of some artworks, including two paintings each by Jung-seob and Soo-keun, from its inception. The exhibition also featured ceramics from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). 

▲ 소와 어린이 A Bull and a Child (Genuine) ⓒ Lee Jung Seob, Kim Daljin Art Research and Consulting

Last week, LACMA hosted an official appraisal session where four Korean art experts assessed the suspected forgeries, according to South Korea’s national daily newspaper JoongAng. The experts included Hong Sun-pyo, professor emeritus from Ewha University; Lee Dong-kook, director of the Gyeonggi Province Museum; Kim Sun-hee, former director of the Busan Museum of Art; and Tae Hyun-seon, curator at the Leeum Museum of Art.

The experts concluded that Jung-seob’s A Bull and a Child and Crawling Children, and Soo-keun’s Waikiki and Three Women and Child were indeed counterfeits. They criticized LACMA's due diligence process and accused the museum of lacking an understanding of Korean art. 

▲ ⓒ LACMA

“Korean Treasures from the Chester and Cameron Chang Collection” featured 35 artworks and objects formerly owned by Korean collectors Dr. Chester Chang and his son Dr. Cameron Chang, acquired by the museum in 2021.

Questions about the authenticity of the artworks were initially raised by JoongAng in February, prompting the Galleries Association of Korea to contact LACMA.

LACMA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sayart / Jason Yim, yimjongho1969@gmail.com