Art Historian, Curator, Writer and Art Strategy Consultant
Jiyoon Lee is a globally recognized art historian, curator, writer, and consultant, known for her expertise in art strategy and institutional innovation. With a Ph.D. in art history from the Courtauld Institute of Art and an M.A. in museum and gallery management from City University, London, she has spent over two decades building bridges between contemporary art, global business, and cultural policy.
She is the founder and director of SUUM Project, an independent curatorial office and creative strategy consultancy established in London in 2003. SUUM has played a pivotal role in the globalization of contemporary art, producing landmark exhibitions and pioneering corporate art initiatives for clients such as Samsung and LG. Her curatorial highlights include the 2006 Busan Biennale, the 2008 Liverpool Biennial and the 2009 Venice Biennale Collateral Exhibition, alongside “LUX: A New Wave of Contemporary Art” (London, 2021) and “LUX: Poetic Resolution” (Seoul, 2023).
Ms. Lee has held key leadership positions in the art world, including artistic director of Art Gwangju (2011, 2013) and commissioner of the International Olympic Commission Media Art Collection for the 2012 London Olympics. In 2014, she was appointed deputy director of the Korea’s National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, where she spearheaded the museum’s global outreach through strategic partnerships with leading international artists and corporate sponsors, such as Hyundai Motor and Korean Air. Most recently, she was invited to serve as project director for the 5th Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism taking place this fall.
In addition to her curatorial work, Ms. Lee is an adjunct professor at Yonsei University School of Business in Seoul, and a regular contributor to Forbes magazine and the Korea JoongAng Daily. She is also a frequent speaker at global conferences, including the World Knowledge Forum and the Condé Nast International Luxury Conference.
