Gangneung Art Museum Sorol, Korea
October 22, 2025–January 18, 2026
Gangneung Art Museum Sorol proudly presents the special exhibition “Inside the Studio: Katherine Bernhardt‘s Universe” spotlighting the works of American contemporary artist Katherine Bernhardt. In the early 2000s, Bernhardt (b. 1975, USA) rose to prominence in the New York art scene and has since been praised as “the perfect intersection of contemporary art and pop culture.”
At the Gangneung Art Museum Sorol exhibition, large-scale works that measure up to 6 m, including several brand-new pieces, will be unveiled in Korea for the first time, with over 140 major works to be showcased. This exhibition is made possible through collaboration with David Zwirner, one of the world’s top galleries and Bernhardt’s representing agency.
In particular, the Sorol exhibition space will feature a faithful recreation of the artist’s studio in the United States, including a replica of the shower room—an important source of inspiration for the artist—down to the tile flooring. For Bernhardt, the shower room is a crucial space that inspires her work. She imagines everyday objects taking showers. It begins with a whimsical thought infused with her unique sense of humor, coming up with ideas such as “What if the Pink Panther took a bubble bath in my bathroom?”
“It is amazing that humans are still painting. Just the act of doing something that has been going on for centuries. Holding a paintbrush and making a painting in this day and age of computers and technology seems funny to me. I love painting” – Katherine Bernhardt
The exhibition is composed of five sections: “Section 1: Supermodels and the Beginning of Katherine Bernhardt; Section 2: Jungle, the Birth of Pattern Painting; Section 3: Pizza, Nikes, and Toilet Paper; Section 4: Pop Culture Icons Become Contemporary Art; Section 5: Katherine Bernhardt’s World—Where Art Grows.” Ultimately, this exhibition highlights the artist’s body of work throughout her career, from her early “Supermodel” series, created after graduating from art school, to everyday objects and the “Pink Panther” series. Learn more at Gangneung Art Museum Sorol.