Ohnim, better known as Mino of K-pop boy band WINNER, poses in front of his paintings at StART Art Flex in Seoul. (Courtesy of KPLUS)

Many Korean celebrities are expanding their talent into fine arts, blurring the boundary between art and entertainment.

One of the most active entertainers-turned artists is Mino of K-pop band WINNER. Since making his foray into the fine art scene in 2019, he has been presenting pieces under the name Ohnim.

The 29-year-old painter was awarded the 2021 Global Eye Visual and Culture Award. This year, his work was displayed at the Weltmuseum Wein as part of an exhibition that celebrates the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Austria. He was also one of the main creators that opened at StART Art Fair held at Saatchi Gallery in London in October.

His current show “Thanking You – Ohnim Solo Exhibition” will run through January 15, 2023, at the StART Art Flex in Seoul.

“I tried to express a wide range of emotions by projecting myself onto the canvas,” he said in a statement. “In my first-ever solo show, I lay bare the artistic universe conceived from the moment I made my debut as a painter until now.”

Singer Solbi, whose real name is Kwon Ji-an, has been bridging her music and fine art career for over a decade. Kwon began painting in 2010 as a form of art therapy and officially debuted as an artist in 2012 with a solo exhibition.

In 2021, she won the Grand Artist Award at The Premi International d’Art de Barcelona held in Spain.

Singer-turned artist Park Hye-kyoung poses with some paintings from her exhibition at Gaon Gallery in Seoul. (Courtesy of Moida Studio)

Park Hye-kyoung is another musician who also works as a fine artist. She held her first solo exhibition at Gaon Gallery in Seoul in December. Enchanted by flowers, Park usually makes them the main subject of her paintings.

“Flowers have great power. I nearly lost my ability to sing after developing painful nodules on my vocal folds, but was able to sing again thanks to the energy of flowers. Now I am painting the flowers that saved my life,” she said.

Others who have gained recognition as painters include actors Ha Jung-woo and Koo Hye-sun.

Ha debuted as an artist in 2010 with his first solo exhibition. His works have been exhibited overseas, including at the LA Art Show, Hong Kong Art Fair and Art Paris. In 2016, one of his paintings, “Keep Silence,” reportedly sold for 14 million won (US$10,601) at an auction event, putting him under the spotlight in the emerging artists’ circle.

From November 17 to December 19, he held his latest solo exhibition, “Hit The Road,” at Pyo Gallery in Seoul. Drawing inspiration from a visit to Morocco, he filled those works with bright colors and Arabesque patterns.

Actress Koo Hye-sun has held multiple solo exhibitions in Seoul, such as “Voyage ‘Again and Again’” at Jinsan Gallery in 2020 and “Koo Hye-sun’s New Age under Seo Taiji’s Lyrics” at the Hangaram Museum in SAC last year. She served as the ambassador of this year’s Global Art Fair Singapore.

BTS’s leader RM does not paint but is renowned as an art enthusiast. In fact, he is one of the most influential figures in Korea’s contemporary art scene as a collector and art patron. His interest in art spills over to others: His fans take so-called “RM tours” of the museums and galleries he has visited. Recognizing his enthusiasm and influence, the American art news outlet Artnet.com recently selected him among 35 art-scene “Innovators.”

Other K-pop singers known as art collectors include G-Dragon and T.O.P of the boy band BigBang. They are both avid collectors and were included on the 2019 list of “50 Art Collectors to Watch” in New York-based ARTnews.