Gwangju International Art Fair Opens on the 22nd... View Masterpieces and Buy Art

94 galleries from 12 countries to participate

Works by Kusama, Haring, and Hockney on display

Young artist selection expanded to include Jeonnam

Four artists from Gwangju and Jeonnam to take part in special exhibition

The 17th Gwangju International Art Fair (Art Gwangju) will be held from October 22 to 25, 2026, in Halls A, B, and C of the Kimdaejung Convention Center.

Organized by the Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City and hosted by the Gwangju Cultural Foundation, the event will feature 94 galleries from 12 countries, including South Korea. A total of 82 domestic and 12 international galleries will present paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs, media art, and more.

David Hockney's “A Bigger Book.” Featured in the special exhibition at Art Gwangju. Courtesy of the Gwangju Cultural Foundation.

The special exhibitions include “Heroes of Contemporary Art,” “Rising Stars,” and “Propose.” Visitors can view works by internationally renowned artists, local young artists, and local collectors.

This year, visitors will be welcomed by “Heroes of Contemporary Art,” featuring works by world-renowned masters. The exhibition will present Yayoi Kusama’s print “Pumpkin (2)” (1990), Keith Haring’s “Untitled Marker Drawing” (1987), and David Hockney’s photographic drawing “Focus Moving” (2018). A 1992 Whitney Museum exhibition poster featuring an image of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s “In Italian” will also be on display.

“Propose,” an exhibition of works from local collectors’ collections, will also be held. Works by Kim Yun Shin, Jang Gano, Go Chabun, and Kim Minjung, among others, will be arranged alongside furniture to show how artworks can blend into living spaces.

As the first edition of the event since the launch of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City, this year’s fair has expanded opportunities for young artists to participate. “Rising Stars” has broadened its selection area from Gwangju to include Jeonnam. Last year, three young artists from Gwangju were selected; this year, two artists each from Gwangju and Jeonnam were chosen, for a total of four.

The selected artists are Kim Myeongjin, Kim Haseul, Yoo Suyeon, and Jeon Jeongyeon. Their works are titled “Enduring the Weight,” “Night’s Tranquility III,” “Waiting,” and “Window and Gap_Dusty Miller,” respectively.

Visitors who would like to explore the exhibition while listening to explanations of the works can join a docent tour. The venue will also feature a public lounge, an art shop, and a gift-wrapping shop, as well as a collectors’ lounge for VIP visitors.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.