The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is under fire from Korean art experts after several paintings in its exhibition, “Korean Treasures from the Chester and Cameron Chang Collection,” were declared fakes. The alleged forgeries include works by the late Korean artists Lee Jung-seob and Park Soo-keun.
Following this revelation, LACMA’s director Michael Govan canceled the exhibition’s catalogue. The show, which ended Sunday after a four-month run, had been plagued by doubts about the authenticity of some pieces from the start.
Last week, four Korean art experts—Hong Sun-pyo, Lee Dong-kook, Kim Sun-hee, and Tae Hyun-seon—examined the suspected forgeries at LACMA and confirmed the counterfeits. They criticized LACMA’s vetting process and lack of understanding of Korean art, sparking significant backlash.
The artworks, part of a collection acquired by LACMA in 2021, first raised suspicions in February, leading the Galleries Association of Korea to contact the museum. LACMA has yet to comment on the controversy, leaving many questions unanswered about its vetting process.
Selena Mattei