Humming Letter #86, 2024

Ji-an Kwon  

Kwon Ji-an (born September 30, 1984), widely known as Solbi, is a South Korean multidisciplinary artist who has seamlessly transitioned from the world of K-Pop into the realm of contemporary art. Having debuted as a singer in 2006 as part of the group Typhoon, Kwon gained fame in the entertainment industry but later turned to art as a means of self-expression and healing. Over the years, she has developed a unique artistic language that blends painting, sculpture, installation, video, and performance art, earning recognition both in Korea and internationally. Kwon Ji-an's artistic journey is deeply personal, shaped by her experiences with fame, cyberbullying, and the limitations of verbal communication. She has openly shared how art became a sanctuary, allowing her to process emotions and reinvent herself beyond public scrutiny. Her works often explore themes of existence and nonexistence, the interplay of colors, and the balance between the tangible and the abstract. In her creative process, Kwon employs self-collaboration, integrating music and visual arts to form a unique convergence genre. She often forgoes traditional brushes in favor of using her hands, creating swirling landscapes filled with movement and emotion—an approach reminiscent of Impressionist masters like Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Vincent van Gogh. Additionally, she incorporates sound waves into her pieces, conceptualizing them as a “gravity of music through humming," reflecting her deep connection to auditory expression. Kwon Ji-an's first steps into the art world began with her debut solo exhibition in 2012, A Person's Way of Looking at the World, in Seoul. This marked the beginning of her evolution as an artist, leading to a series of acclaimed exhibitions. By 2015, she introduced her signature interdisciplinary approach, merging music and painting in her project TRACE, further cementing her status as an "art-tainer" —a term recognizing her ability to bridge entertainment and fine art. Her innovative contributions to contemporary art earned her the "Arttainer Division" award at the 2019 Korea First Brand Awards, highlighting her success in redefining the boundaries between pop culture and high art. "If my paintings can touch someone's heart and be part of their healing process, that would be amazing."

As she continues to push creative boundaries, Kwon Ji-an remains a compelling figure in contemporary art—an artist whose work is not just seen but felt. Her ability to transform personal struggles into powerful visual narratives has solidified her place as one of South Korea's most intriguing and influential modern artists.