Gabriel Ritter’s Five Favourite Works from Frieze Seoul Viewing Room

Kim Tschang-Yeul, Composition, 1969 

Acrylic and cellulose lacquer on canvas, 30.5 x 30.2 cm. Presented by Tina Kim Gallery  

This stunning early painting by Kim Tschang-Yeul was made during the artist’s time in New York (1965–1969) when he experimented with a fluid style of geometric abstraction. While best known for his signature water-droplet motif, this small colourful work pulsates with an undeniable energy, inspired by cellular biomorphic forms.  

Yoshio Sekine, No.360, 1974 

72 x 90.8 cm. Presented by Tokyo Gallery + BTAP 

A founding member of the Gutai Art Association, the leading Japanese avant-garde art group of the postwar period, Yoshi Sekine left the Kansai-based group in 1959 for Tokyo. There he cultivated his hallmark abacus motif in paintings that straddle the line between representation and abstraction. This work, with its magnified centre, portrays a compelling duality between part and whole, push and pull. 

Emi Mizukami, On the road, 2025 

Acrylic, charcoal pencil, sand paste, pastel, desert sand on linen mounted on panel, 85.7 x 62.2 cm. Presented by Kosaku Kanechika 

Combining ancient allegory and mythical symbols with a unique materiality, the work of Emi Mizukami uses pigment thickened with sand paste to create and obfuscate narrative. Her layered compositions intentionally conceal previously painted surfaces, which often reappear on the painting’s verso, through sketches the artist recreates from memory. 

Kang Seung Lee, Untitled (Martin Wong, 1984, Tom Warren), 2025 

Graphite on paper, wood frame. 51 x 51 x 4 cm. Presented by Commonwealth and Council 

This haunting yet powerful drawing by Kang Seung Lee depicts an iconic portrait, taken by the photographer Tom Warren of the Chinese American artist Martin Wong (1946–1999) wearing his signature cowboy hat and leather jacket. Wong, an openly gay man and chronicler of life in New York’s East Village during the 1980s, tragically died of an AIDS-related illness in 1999. While the erasure of Wong’s visage speaks to issues of memory and loss, the delicacy with which Lee renders his fellow artist, speaks to his affinity and care for his subject.

Min Ha Park, Day (S), 2025 

Acrylic, vinyl paint, oil, wax and Miraval® on canvas, 19 x 33 cm. Presented by Whistle 

I think it’s important for collectors to take chances on emerging artists at art fairs. With that in mind, this small abstract painting by Min Ha Park caught my attention. Park’s work does not have a fixed subject, but functions as a mirror reflecting the abstract elements of nature and light as evidenced by the ethereal rays of blue and silver that emanate across the canvas. 

About Gabriel Ritter 

Gabriel Ritter is Director of the Art, Design & Architecture Museum at UC Santa Barbara, and Associate Professor in the Department of the History of Art and Architecture. He holds a Ph.D. in art history from UCLA, where he also earned his MA. At UCSB, he leads museum programming and pedagogy connecting campus and community through contemporary art.    

About Frieze Seoul Viewing Room    

Open to all from 27 August to 12 September, Frieze Viewing Room is the online catalogue for the fair, giving global audiences access to gallery presentations coming to Frieze Seoul 2025. Visitors can search artworks by artist, price, date and medium, save favourite artworks and presentations, chat with galleries and much more.    

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Further Information 

Frieze Seoul, COEX, 3 – 6 September 2025.   

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Frieze Seoul is supported by Headline Partner LG OLED, in a collaboration that merges the worlds of art and technology, and Global Lead Partner Deutsche Bank, continuing over two decades of shared commitment to artistic excellence.