Beth McKillop, Curator Who Championed Korean Art, Dies at 72
Beth McKillop, a key figure in the world of Korean art in the UK, sadly passed away at the age of 72 after battling metastatic breast cancer. Her work at the British Library and the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) was pivotal in bringing Korean art to the forefront. Between 1990 and 1993, she held the position of Samsung curator of Korean art at the V&A, where she established the UK's first permanent gallery dedicated to this art form and expanded the collection by over 120 items, including significant pieces like a celadon vase by Shin Sang-ho and a bridal robe by Lee Young-hee. McKillop also co-wrote important books on Korean culture and ceramics and managed major projects at the V&A until her retirement in 2016. Even after retiring, she remained active in academia and leadership roles in art organizations.
Key facts
- Beth McKillop died of metastatic breast cancer at age 72.
- She established the UK's first permanent museum gallery for Korean art at the V&A (1990–1993).
- She expanded the V&A's Korean holdings by more than 120 objects.
- Key acquisitions included a celadon vase by Shin Sang-ho and a wonsam robe by Lee Young-hee.
- She co-wrote North Korean Culture and Society (2004) and Precious Beyond Measure: A History of Korean Ceramics (2024).
- She was keeper of Asia at the V&A from 2004 and oversaw China Design Now (2008) and the Buddhist art galleries.
- She brokered the Sir Percival David Foundation's Chinese ceramics collection into the British Museum in 2025.
- She was president of the Oriental Ceramic Society from 2018 to 2021.
Entities
Artists
- Beth McKillop
- Shin Sang-ho
- Lee Young-hee
- Yi Man-bong
- William Skillend
- Yukio Fujimoto
- Jane Portal
- Nicholas Cullinan
- Andy McKillop
- Aurel Stein
- Norman McConochie
- Mary Chalmers
Institutions
- British Library
- Victoria & Albert Museum
- Samsung
- School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS University of London)
- University of Glasgow
- Churchill College, Cambridge
- British Council
- Peking University
- BBC Monitoring Service
- British Museum
- National Museums Scotland
- Sir Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art
- Oriental Ceramic Society
- University of Virginia in Charlottesville Rare Book School
- Robert H N Ho Family Foundation
Locations
- Glasgow
- United Kingdom
- South Korea
- North Korea
- Beijing
- China
- Dunhuang
- Charlottesville
- United States