Rapper Cheetah, Photo|Reporter Lee Da-won
Rapper Cheetah revealed why she is taking her first step as a painter.
At the Hwang Chang-bae Museum of Art in Yeonhui-dong, Seoul, on the morning of the 4th, during a press conference for the first domestic invitational solo exhibition by Cheetah, ‘Voices Beyond Sound: From Human Greed’ (VOICES BEYOND SOUND), when asked why she began painting, she said, “During the COVID-19 period, as opportunities to stand on stage in my main line of work decreased, I wanted to try expressing through painting the nature and environment I cared about, not only as a singer but also as an individual, so I began. As that hobby accumulated, I was invited to hold my first solo exhibition, which I consider meaningful and an honor.”
She explained, “In fact, it is not easy to put something before the world for the first time. I thought I was still lacking and even harbored doubts, but art director Choi Go-eun, who works with me, encouraged me. She viewed the potential of my work positively, which gave me courage, and that is how I came to open this solo exhibition.”
Regarding this exhibition, she said, “The title of the exhibition is ‘Voices Beyond Sound: From Human Greed’. Animals are beings that are forced to make sacrifices because of human greed. These animals are suffering without even knowing why the Earth is warming. That is why we want people to feel it all the more and to think once more about the environment, and with that in mind we opened this exhibition.”
This exhibition is the first official solo show presented by the musician Cheetah as ‘painter Kim Eun-young’. With the meaning of all life encompassing nature, animals, and humans as its theme, it showcases a total of 22 works, from early genesis pieces to new ones. It was planned as an attempt to build another artistic language through the medium of visual art rather than as an extension of music.
For this exhibition, Gaja Liquor, a domestic wine-specialist company, is participating as an official sponsor and will present limited-edition wine art goods during the exhibition period. As a convergent cultural-art experiment that combines art appreciation with consumption experiences, it is an attempt that suggests the potential for the popularization of the art market.
The exhibition opening event will take place on the 13th. To commemorate the first-ever worldwide hosting of the exhibition, a special event is also arranged in which the artist leaves a message directly on the back of the work for collectors who acquire a piece.
