“Musicians leave behind their songs and videos,
but it’s only through fine art that viewers in the future
are able to completely meet artists from the past”- RM
Welcome back to the second installment of our Borasaek Vision “Summer Series” where we continue to dip our journalistic toes into the world of art, more specifically, BTS’ engagement and influence in this field.
It is a well-known fact that there is an array of musicians and artists who have inspired BTS throughout the past eight years of their career. Hip-hop artists, such as Nas and Drake, or socially conscious K-pop pioneers, Seo Taiji and the Boys. Somewhere along BTS’ eight-year career timeline, the tables turned, however. Now there are also a growing number of musicians and artists who acknowledge that they, in turn, have been inspired by BTS or look to BTS for inspiration. Therefore, just as the title of this blog states, we now take this opportunity to focus more on the works of three Korean artists and painters — Lee K., Kildren, and Jung Hun Sung, all of whom have shared BTS-inspired art in recent years.
LEE K.
Korean-born and educated, Il Lee (aka Lee K.) was in his early 20’s when he began his career as an artist. Over the years, he has refined his artistry in ballpoint pen drawings, first on paper, then on canvas; a technique that has become a signature style for him as an artist. He studied art at Hongik University in South Korea, starting his journey with oil-on-canvas. Later, in 1980, Lee began to develop his ballpoint pen abstraction at Pratt Institute in New York.
In an interview earlier this year with Vogue Korea, Lee K. mentions Jimin as his muse, saying he was inspired by Jimin’s mystical face and thus began to consider him as an inspiration for his own artworks. Several of his artworks have a selective color palette — many seem to have a monochromatic theme. His work also incorporates mediums, such as charcoal and oil paints, in addition to streams of ballpoint ink. His works can be found on Instagram, including this amazing set of Jimin-inspired works. As can be seen from this Instagram post shared by Lee K. earlier this year, his artworks have already been featured alongside BTS, albeit as background adornments.
KILDREN Kildren, a self-proclaimed artist, has been working with his rather colorful art style since his thirties as a student in Japan. He is also known for being a huge music lover, drawing inspiration from it. He has said he sleeps with his headphones on and that music inspires him greatly even in his sleep.
While he has been inspired by several musical artists, in an Instagram post, Kildren has declared himself an ARMY. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that he gained inspiration from BTS for his artwork, citing V as one of his pivotal muses. The art style Kildren uses is a mix between realism and non-realism, with a splendor of colors and the occasional playful smiley face in his paintings. Kildren’s works can be found on Instagram. Early 2021, Sideshow, who describe themselves as a “modern-day renaissance studio,” announced its partnership with “Grammy-nominated group BTS.” Kildren’s artwork was featured as a tribute to the Love Yourself era, offering a “7-piece fine art print set.”
JUNG HUN SUNG Jung Hun Sung is another one of many artists inspired by BTS to create. He started his career in 2001 and, since that time, has exhibited in a number of spaces such as the Moscow International Watercolor Art Festival or IWS Vietnam Biennale. In March 2018, he participated in his first individual competition of watercolor painting in South Korea, North Korea, Jeonju & Sudwell Gallery-Human Watercolor Exhibition. Currently, Hun Sung is living and working as a watercolor artist in Korea, utilizing YouTube for educational purposes to help viewers see the process involved in his work.
Jung Hun Sung recreated a portrait of V; in fact, he has two beautiful works depicting V. In February of this year, the artist uploaded this video detailing his process for painting one of his V portraits. This one captures V’s stunning face; it includes his large eyes, the double eyelid in one of his eyes, and his sharp nose.
While Jung Hun Sung may not be a famous artist, he willingly shares his art on a number of social media platforms, such as Bēhance, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Naver blog, and Pinterest. As seen from the video of V’s portrait, he readily invites the artist in all of us to engage with his works.
ART INSPIRES CONNECTIONS
Art does not show people what to do, yet engaging with a good work of art can connect you to your senses, body, and mind. It can make the world felt - Olafur Eliasson
Just like music, art also transcends cultural boundaries allowing humankind to connect beyond the confines of space and time. CONNECT, BTS was very much about connecting people to art and art to people, and BTS are one of the greatest ambassadors on this planet for creating music that transcends and transforms. What this blog has demonstrated though, is that BTS are inspiring artists for all media — not just the music and entertainment industries. Undoubtedly, this is the impact that BTS has in the 21st century, and this too will be one of the legacies that BTS will leave for future generations. Borasaek Vision invites you to join us again next fortnight when we introduce you to another artist whose works have been influenced by the seven members of BTS.
DISCLAIMER: We do not own any audio & visual content in this video except for the editing. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THE RIGHTFUL OWNERS. No copyright infringement intended.
Co-written By: Mama, Endang & LP
Edited By: Vera
Checked By: Esma
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