Singer finds solace in glowing paint

Arts & Design

Singer finds solace in glowing paint

Published: 15 Sep. 2015, 20:56

The painting “Daydream” by singer Kwon Ji-an, who is better known by her stage name Solbi, was part of her solo exhibition at Gana Art Gallery in central Seoul. Provided by the gallery

Some celebrities create art to heal themselves after experiencing the darker sides of fame, such as cyberbullying. At least that was the case for Kwon Ji-an, who is better known by her stage name Solbi, according to Gana Art Gallery, which just held a solo show of the singer’s art.

Kwon, 30, has released more than 15 pop albums. But her latest album, which she recorded with indie singer Kim Kyung-in as a duo called VIVIS, combines music and art.

The album, “Trace,” was released Sept. 10 alongside the opening of the “Kwon Ji-an’s ” exhibition at Gana Art Gallery’s Untitled Warehouse space in Pyeongchang-dong, central Seoul.

Describing her work as “pop abstract painting,” Kwon said a few of her art pieces and the album are highly interconnected. For example, she created the painting “Daydream” by putting various colors of acrylic paint on her body and dancing to the track on the album of the same name.

Singer-turned-artist Solbi, or Kwon Ji-an, sits in her studio in Cheongdam-dong, central Seoul.

This mix of art, music and performance combines what Kwon is good at - music and performance - and what she likes, art, according to the celebrity.

And Kwon hopes that her interests and talents in different fields might help give the public a new perspective on art.

“I think many people feel distant from art, so I have the ambition to close that gap,” Kwon told the Korea JoongAng Daily at the gallery. “Even though it will be difficult, I wish to make people more interested in art through me. This is because art has been such a positive influence on me as a reliable friend and also as a healing tool.”

By using glow-in-the-dark acrylic paints, the singer ensured that her works shine brightest in the dark.

Regarding the choice of medium, Kwon explained, “I wanted to emphasize its double-sidedness,” adding that “light shines brighter in the darkness and that seemed just like me, always trying to be optimistic even during the hard times of my life.”

The show, which ended Sunday, featured 20 paintings in addition to the main piece, “Daydream.” And while specific details are still being discussed, the exhibition might also go abroad, Kwon’s agent said.

BY JIN MIN-JI [jin.minji@joongang.co.kr]