Lee So-young has taken the helm of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco as its newly appointed Barbara Bass Bakar director and CEO, bringing with her a transformative vision for how Asian culture is understood and presented in America. The Korean-American art expert, who previously served as chief curator at Harvard Art Museum and spent 15 years as the first Korean art curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, is leading one of the nation's most prestigious Asian art institutions during a pivotal time for both the museum and the city.
San Francisco's unique position as a cultural bridge between Asia and America makes it the perfect location to explore the evolving narrative of Asian diaspora, according to Lee. "San Francisco has a really key role in telling the story of the Asian diaspora in its culture – it has a deep, long history of Asians coming right from the 19th century onward," Lee explained during a recent interview. The city's connection to Asia dates back to the Gold Rush era, when it became one of the first major destinations for thousands of Asians crossing the Pacific Ocean.
Today, Asian Americans comprise approximately 38 percent of San Francisco's population, a presence that extends far beyond traditional immigrant neighborhoods. Lee emphasizes that Asian culture has become deeply integrated into mainstream American life, influencing everything from food and language to popular media. This cultural integration has created a rich foundation for exploring questions of identity that many Asian American artists grapple with in their work.
"For all Asian Americans working in the US, the question of identity about the Asian aspect and American aspect is incredibly rich," Lee noted. "There is no single answer, and each artist approaches it from their own experiences. That is what makes the work so fascinating." This complexity of identity and cultural fusion is central to Lee's vision for the museum's future direction.
Lee believes the time has come to view Asian culture through a new lens – not only through traditional regional perspectives but also through the experiences of diaspora communities. "It (Asian culture) became like a global thing," she said. "What is the Asian culture today, and what is the future of Asian art and culture? I would like the Asian Art Museum to lead in conversation with all of the museums and cultural institutions in the region as well."
The Asian Art Museum, which traces its origins to the late 1950s with a generous gift of approximately 8,000 works collected by Avery Brundage, has grown into a world-class institution. Now housing more than 20,000 artworks from 48 Asian countries and the worldwide Asian diaspora, the museum is located in the city's Civic Center and has recently expanded with a new wing called the Pavilion, specifically designed for contemporary art exhibitions.
Lee's appointment comes at an exciting time for San Francisco, as the city works to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic under new leadership determined to revitalize both its economic and cultural landscape. Cultural institutions across the city are collaborating to draw audiences back and rebuild their communities. "You're not just researching (as curators) – you're engaging with people who come to the museum. You're building communities, telling stories and even creating new ones with visitors – and that's the part of the job I really enjoy," Lee shared.
Born to a diplomat father, Lee spent most of her life on the East Coast, studying art history at Columbia University with initial plans to pursue an academic career as a professor. Although she had always enjoyed visiting museums, she never imagined working in one until 2003, when she made history by becoming the first curator of Korean art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
During her tenure at the Met, Lee was influenced by many mentors, including her first boss who shared a quote that continues to inspire her work: "Asia is half of the world and all of time." This perspective shaped her understanding of how museums should approach Asian art and culture. "For a long time, many museums, when collecting and telling stories about Asia, treated it as a historical entity like the US is here, Asia is there. But in fact, Asia is a vibrant current community," she explained.
Lee emphasizes the importance of presenting Asia not just as a historical subject but as a dynamic, contemporary force. "It is important that you continue not only telling the stories of the past, but what Asia is today and tomorrow," she said. This philosophy has guided her curatorial work and now informs her leadership approach at the Asian Art Museum.
One of Lee's most significant achievements at the Met was co-curating the groundbreaking 2013 exhibition "Silla: Korea's Golden Kingdom," created in collaboration with the National Museum of Korea and Gyeongju National Museum. The exhibition featured more than 100 objects created between A.D. 400 and 800, marking the first time this period of Silla was presented outside Asia. The exhibition highlighted Korea's historical role as the easternmost point of the Silk Road and showcased its ancient internationalism.
"We think the 20th century was the global century, but globalism has happened many times throughout history," Lee reflected on the exhibition's significance. This historical perspective on globalization continues to influence her understanding of how Asian cultures have always been interconnected with the broader world.
Over the past two decades, Lee has witnessed the dramatic rise of Korean art on the global stage, driven by both government support abroad and growing international recognition of contemporary Korean artists. "Museums in the US and Europe have built Korean collections and presented exhibitions over the last 20 years, and one of the most fascinating and transformative developments has been the rise of contemporary Korean art," she observed.
Lee describes this transformation as "explosive and game-changing, not just for Korea but for the global artistic landscape." This shift represents a broader change in how Asian art is perceived and valued internationally, moving beyond traditional categories to embrace contemporary voices and innovative artistic expressions.
The museum currently showcases this contemporary focus through exhibitions such as "Hallyu! The Korean Wave," which ran until January 6, 2025, and "New Japanese Clay at the Asian Art Museum," on display from August 15 to February 2, 2026. These exhibitions reflect Lee's commitment to presenting both historical and contemporary Asian art while exploring the cultural phenomena that connect Asian and American audiences.
As Lee settles into her new role, she envisions the Asian Art Museum becoming a leading voice in conversations about the future of Asian art and culture. Her unique background, combining deep expertise in Korean art with extensive experience in major American museums, positions her to bridge cultural divides and create new narratives that reflect the complex, evolving nature of Asian identity in the modern world.
