TRADITION REIMAGINED: KOREAN CULTURAL CENTER IN THE PHILIPPINES OPENS "HANBOK, REBORN AS ART" EXHIBITION

[JULY 13, 2026] — The Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines (KCC) opened Hanbok, Reborn as Art, a contemporary art exhibition celebrating the enduring beauty of Korea's traditional clothing, on July 10 at the KCC in Taguig City. Organized under Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and presented in partnership with the Savina Museum of Contemporary Art, the exhibition will be open to the public free of charge until September 26, featuring the work of eighteen contemporary Korean artists who reinterpret the hanbok through painting, sculpture, installation, and video.

[Photo 1. Exhibition Poster: Hanbok, Reborn as Art]

Opening Ceremony

[Photo 2. (From left to right): Metropolitan Museum of Manila Senior Curator, Ian Gines, Savina Museum of Contemporary Arts Director, Myungohk Lee, Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines Director, Myeongjin Kim, National Commission for Culture and the Arts Deputy Executive Director, Bernan Joseph Corpuz, and Museo Pambata President, Wilma Huang.]

The exhibition’s opening ceremony on July 9 welcomed distinguished guests, including Myeongjin Kim, Director of the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines, Myungohk Lee, Director of Savina Museum of Contemporary Arts, Bernan Joseph Corpuz, Deputy Executive Director of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Wilma Huang, President of Museo Pambata and Ian Gines, Senior Curator of the the Metropolitan Museum of Manila.

About the Exhibition

The hanbok has long carried the history, philosophy, and aesthetic sensibility of the Korean people. As it evolved through the centuries alongside the lives of Koreans, the garment took on many forms, each reflecting the spirit of its time. Hanbok, Reborn as Art invites visitors to encounter this heritage anew, as eighteen contemporary artists draw on the patterns, colors, and silhouettes of the hanbok to create original works exploring the intersection of tradition and modernity. The exhibition has already traveled to China, Kazakhstan, and Nigeria, demonstrating the global appeal of Korean traditional culture reinterpreted through a contemporary lens, and is next set to travel to Malaysia this year.

From oil paintings and porcelain sculptures to single-channel video works, the exhibition brings together a wide range of media and techniques, offering audiences a way to experience Korean identity and culture that goes beyond simple viewing.

Director Myungohk Lee of the Savina Museum of Contemporary Art said, "Hanbok is not a fixed heritage frozen in the past, but a living cultural asset that is constantly being reinterpreted and expanded through its encounters with contemporary art and modern culture," emphasizing, "We hope that, through this exhibition, Filipino visitors will discover in hanbok — beyond K-pop and K-dramas — the deep roots of Korean culture, the creative capacity of Korean contemporary art, and its future possibilities."

[Photo 7. Guided tour led by Curator Sangik Han of the Savina Museum of Contemporary Arts]

Visitor Information & Guided Tours

Hanbok, Reborn as Art is open to the public free of charge from July 10 to September 26, 2026, Mondays to Saturdays, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, at the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines, 59 Bayani Road, Taguig City, Metro Manila.

Visitors can also look forward to an interactive kit, where they can create and bring home their own mini-hanbok, as well as a hanbok experience corner where they may try on a traditional hanbok every Friday starting July 24. Groups interested in a free guided tour of the exhibition may inquire through info@koreanculture.ph.

Director Myeongjin Kim of the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines said, "This exhibition is a venue that introduces both the beauty of Korean traditional culture and the creativity of contemporary art through hanbok," adding, "We hope Filipino visitors will experience Korean culture in a more multidimensional way through this exhibition, and that cultural and artistic exchange between the two countries will continue to expand."