School of Visual Arts (SVA) yesterday celebrated the official opening of the new office and Andrew Chang Gallery in Seoul, South Korea with a ribbon-cutting event and exhibition opening. SVA Executive Vice President Anthony Rhodes joined the gallery’s namesake honoree, alumnus and longtime faculty member Andrew Chang (MFA 1987 Illustration as Visual Essay), the office’s Assistant Director Hee won Seo, several alumni, and representatives from departments across the College including Admissions, Student Affairs, and Alumni Affairs and Development.

“Andrew is so deserving of having this gallery named in his honor. For more than 30 years, he welcomed thousands of new students to study at SVA and ensured their connections remained strong after graduation. We would not have as vibrant an international community of alumni today if it weren’t for Andrew’s tireless dedication and commitment,” said SVA Executive Vice President Anthony P. Rhodes. “This new venue signifies SVA's ongoing dedication to its Korean alumni and students, who have been an integral part of our community since the 1970s.”

SVA has had a presence in Seoul for more than a decade, first inside the Dongsoong Art Center in Daehak-ro, Seoul’s University District, then in Gangnam, a prestigious district known for its upscale commercial scene. This move to Jongno-gu ushers in a new era for the space and its potential reach, with a highly visible storefront in a lively and pedestrian-heavy area. The design of the new space offers the opportunity to better showcase the work of SVA’s talented alumni, including those currently exhibiting as part of “Re:constructed Records” through Saturday, October 19, 2024.

The Andrew Chang Gallery and office will showcase SVA through info sessions, guest lectures and artist talks, all the while strengthening the College’s local profile within South Korea’s vibrant art scene. It will also offer recruitment opportunities for prospective students, including portfolio reviews and one-on-one meetings. The new space represents SVA's commitment to its many Korean alumni and students who have contributed to the fabric of the student body since the 1970s. For the coming year, many collaborations with the College’s impressive network of alumni artists are in the works, including a partnership this December with the prominent Korean print association Print Art and Research Center(PARC), where many alumni occupy key leadership roles. The gallery, which has already welcomed hundreds of visitors, is located at Yulgok-ro 3-gil 73 Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea, 03062, and is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday.

An alumnus of SVA, Chang has a long legacy with the College. In addition to conducting student recruitment in South Korea dating back to the 1990s, he also spearheaded the Culture, Design and Fine Arts in New York (CDFNY) Summer Program at SVA. Designed for students already enrolled in higher education institutions outside the US, CDFNY provided an opportunity for those eager to explore and engage with the rich artistic landscape of New York City during their summer break. Chang was also previously the director of the Office of Programs for International Students for more than a decade. Though he officially retired from admissions work last year, Chang maintains a presence at SVA as an esteemed faculty, with expertise in watercolor painting. His successor for the Seoul office, Hee won Seo, has been working with Chang in the region since the office’s inception in 2014.

About “Re:constructed Records”

The four artists in this exhibition—Sea Moon Kim (BFA 2016 Illustration), Rina Ji hyeon Park (BFA 2016 Fine Arts), Jeehui Chang (MFA 2007 Fine Arts) and Jeongmee Yoon (MFA 2006 Photography, Video and Related Media)—each explore the formation and transformation of self through their unique visual representations of past memories, emotions, or collective identities. Viewers will follow the diverse approaches of the artists as they explore self and memory, witnessing the layered manifestations of personal experiences and self-formation. The artists encourage adults to view themselves and the world through new perspectives and to heal in their own ways through their work.

Yoon’s work investigates how societal perceptions influence the formation of personal identity, prompting viewers to consider how gendered color preferences are intertwined with their sense of self. Through fabric collage on traditional Korean textiles, Chang accumulates “sensory and emotional experiences” from multilayered relationships, expressing the beings that are shaped and refined through the conflicts and chaos of human connections in abstract forms. Park uses spontaneous brushwork to freely convey her inner emotions and self. For her, brushstrokes serve as a means of “liberation from oppression and stress,” as well as a tool for “self-expression integrated with life.” And Kim visually records and reconstructs personal past memories to demonstrate that “while memories transform over time, they remain crucial elements in forming the self.”

School of Visual Arts has been a leader in the education of artists, designers and creative professionals for seven decades. With a faculty of distinguished working professionals, a dynamic curriculum and an emphasis on critical thinking, SVA is a catalyst for innovation and social responsibility. Comprising 7,000 students at its Manhattan campus and 41,000 alumni in 75 countries, SVA also represents one of the most influential artistic communities in the world. For information about the College’s 31 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, visit sva.edu.