Paintings by Wook-kyung Choi (1940–1985) are currently on view as part of Action, Gesture, Paint: Women Artists and Global Abstraction 1940-70, a major group exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery, London, UK. The exhibition brings together the work of 81 women artists from across the world who were largely overlooked in the white, male-dominated Abstract Expressionist movement.

Between 1940 and 1970, in the aftermath of World War II, the world experienced significant political changes, including the rise of fascism in parts of South America and East Asia and the spread of communism in Eastern Europe and China. Artists from different parts of the world responded to these political developments by expressing their concerns through a new form that emphasized personal and political freedom, leading to the emergence of the Abstract Expressionist movement. The exhibition focuses on the work of female artists from various regions of the world during this period, extending beyond the movement's origin in America. While operating within their distinct cultural contexts, these artists delved into themes such as materiality, freedom of expression, perception, and gesture, similar to their American counterparts.

Choi, the only Korean artist featured in the exhibition, is prominently displayed alongside the renowned American abstract expressionist artist, Helen Frankenthaler. Choi’s exhibited works were created during her time in America in the 1960s, when she discovered her artistic identity and started developing her unique style. In one of the works, white and blue stripes set the backdrop for a spontaneous play of acrylic smatterings in green, yellow, and red, demonstrating Choi’s stylistic independence from the mainstream Korean art scene while simultaneously marking a clear departure from American abstraction.

Action, Gesture, Paint: Women Artists and Global Abstraction 1940-70 remains on view through May 7, 2023, at the Whitechapel Gallery. It will then travel to the Fondation Vincent Van Gogh in Arles, France, in June, and to the Kunsthalle Bielefeld in Germany in December.