Kim Wan-sun, a K-pop diva nearing the 40th anniversary of her debut, has returned not with a new song but with a brush in hand.
With her paintings, she reconnects with Kim Chang-hoon from the legendary band Sanulrim, who produced her first record. The two reunite after decades for a special exhibition titled “Art Beyond Fame,” where Kim unveils the latest chapter of her evolving artistic world.
Her new exhibition marks not only another creative milestone, but also a deeply personal chapter, one that, as she puts it, began with “nothing but rest in mind.”
“Music was something I truly loved when I started,” Kim said during an interview with The Korea Herald at the opening of her exhibition on Oct. 17, at Gallery Marie in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
“But after 40 years, it became work, like going to the office every day. Painting, for me, is pure rest. It’s where I breathe, where I heal and where the tired version of myself finds comfort again.”
Since debuting in 1986 with “Tonight,” Kim has been celebrated as Korea’s “Dancing Queen,” producing a string of iconic hits including “Dance in the Rhythm,” “Let’s Forget It Now” and “The Pierrot Laughs at Us.”
Yet through this exhibition, she was able to confront a version of herself that exists beyond the spotlight.
“I never planned to become an exhibiting artist,” Kim said. “I’ve held about eight exhibitions, big and small, but I never once painted with that intention.”
Her journey into art began during the pandemic. “Before COVID-19, I was constantly busy,” she recalled. “When everything suddenly stopped, I remembered painting. I’d learned it years ago while in Hawaii and loved it, but I was too busy to continue. So I picked up the brushes again, just to fill my days.”
What began as a quiet pastime soon caught the public eye after her paintings appeared on television during at-home shoots.
“People started calling, asking if I’d hold an exhibition. At first, I thought, ‘my paintings aren’t good enough.’ But then I told myself, ‘life isn’t that long.’ Music and art are both forms of self-expression, just in different languages. So I decided to trust the moment and take courage.”
While fans still remember her dazzling stage performances, Kim now finds peace in stillness.
“Music involves so many people: lyricists, composers, producers, dancers, stylists. Painting, though, is completely solitary. From start to finish, it’s all me. That’s why it feels like rest.”
The central motif of her latest exhibition is “In the Mood for Love (Hwayangyeonhwa).“
“Within the brilliance and transience of Hwayangyeonhwa, I realized that fate is something beyond human will,” Kim said. “When I first met Kim Chang-hoon as a trainee and worked on my debut album with him, that was the most beautiful time of my life, my own Hwayangyeonhwa. It was a time filled with dreams and passion, but it ended in just five years. That fleeting beauty became the inspiration for my art.”
As Kim Wan-sun’s canvases find new homes and her songs continue to echo across generations, she remains humbled by life’s unpredictability. “Until the day I die, life will keep surprising me,” she said.
Kim’s exhibition “Art Beyond Fame” runs through Nov. 13.
hykim@heraldcorp.com
