[Interview] Actress Ha Ji Won confronts the ”human Ha Ji Won” as a painter... ”Where is the 'real me'?”

Ha Ji Won, an actress who has recently become active as a painter, stood in front of the painting as "the human Ha Ji Won." She has incorporated identity confusion and deep inner feelings into her paintings.
She mustered up the courage to share with the world the "me who has taken off her mask and is facing me." "Even though I loved my work as an actress, there was always something unfulfilled about me as a person.
Since his debut in 1996, he has appeared in TV series such as "Chae Ohk's Sword," "What Happened in Bali," and "Fan
"Jini", "Secret Garden", "The King: Two Hearts", "Empress Ki", the movie "TSUNAMI", "Hana
Ha Ji Won, who has played various characters in numerous works, including "The Miracle of 46 Days," is exploring herself through the new language of painting.
Having transformed into a painter through her first solo exhibition, "The Moment a Relationship Begins," in April 2019, she once again stands before the audience with the theme, "A Glimpse into the Reason I Am Me."
Ha Ji Won, whom I met recently at the Bicesterbury Art Center in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, where the exhibition is being held, said, "We are
"We form many relationships and live with many faces within them," he said, "and if that's the case, then we may wonder, 'Where is the real me?' and 'How deeply do we look at each other?'
"I wanted to share this question through my work," she said. As an actress, she has experienced many different aspects of life and poured her honest inner thoughts into the canvas.
It is someone else's life, and the confusion we all experience is reinterpreted from the perspective of coexistence. Ha Ji Won's work clearly shows the characteristics of Neo-Expressionism and the new and old. She is an actress and
Ha Ji Won expresses the confusion of identity and deep inner feelings she experienced as a young man through her disassembled face and twisted body.
Her work is quite bold. Some of her fellow actors were surprised when they saw it. Ha Ji Won said, "I think that kind of tendency is clearly reflected in the paintings.
"I think that's what I wanted," he said, adding, "My body appears freely in each work, and this is a reflection of the freedom I desire."
Ha Ji Won has not only pursued this self-directed exploration as a personal
In the process, he exhibited his work for the first time at the Global Art Pair "Kiap Seoul" last year, marking his full-scale step onto the international art stage.
The fact is that Snow Contemporary, which helped prepare the exhibit, only found out that Ha Ji Won was an actress after a significant portion of the preparations for the exhibition had already been completed.
This exhibition is significant in that it showcases actress Ha Ji Won's work as "the human Ha Ji Won," exploring her identity and inner self in a deeper way.
Expanding on existing methods of expression, the film incorporates new attempts, exploring the boundaries between self and batter, and unraveling from a deeper perspective the process of searching for one's true self within that relationship.
Ha Ji Won hopes that audiences will have the experience of facing their own inner selves through her works, rather than trying to interpret them objectively.
This shows that Wong is expanding her artistic world beyond acting with the new language of painting. She said, "I want the audience to feel something beyond simple understanding. I want everyone to be able to participate in society."
I have an identity that was created through the group. I would be happy if people could see my work, compare it to themselves, and feel the same emotions."
Ha Ji Won started painting during the COVID-19 pandemic
The film's release was postponed for about a year, giving her time to look deeply into herself. She listened to music, read books, watched movies, and occasionally enjoyed walking.
I had the time to do something I truly loved and focus on my true self, something I rarely get to do when I'm not in the mood.
When Ha Ji Won sits in front of a canvas with a brush in hand, she paints without paying attention to anyone's gaze.
She found it difficult to show her true self in the midst of her acting career and social expectations. She adjusted herself to the expectations and gazes of others, and gradually developed her own unique color.
Unlike the countless times I had to become someone else in my acting, when I was painting, I existed completely as "me" and not as actress Ha Ji Won.
For her, painting was more than just a creative act; it was a way to confirm her true self. "After living as a character (in a play) for over 20 years,
At that moment, I was confused about my identity and thought, 'Why am I an actor?' When I looked at Ha Ji Won the actor and Ha Ji Won the person separately, I felt all sorts of emotions, including shock and sadness.
It was overflowing. It was like the sky was collapsing and I was on an incredible roller coaster. I felt like I could start working on it because I was out in the real world, outside of my little stage.
Due to the pandemic, he had no choice but to make an unavoidable "stop" as an actor, but at the same time, he was at a new departure point as an artist.
Ha Ji Won is set to return to her main profession as an actress through the ENA TV series "Climax," which is scheduled to air next year.
Set against the backdrop of the huge financial and entertainment worlds that drive the country, the story depicts a couple with boundless desires who trample on each other in order to rise to the top of the world.
This is Ha Ji Won's second collaboration with director Ji Won. She says that acting and painting are both "means to express yourself," but that when it comes to painting, she feels like she is the one in charge.
She explains that the difference is that she can become a character in her own right. "Unlike acting, where you express yourself through a character, painting is all about me, and I can put my story onto the canvas.
"They may look similar, but they are actually very different," he said. "The exhibition is an opportunity for me to honestly share my story with the world, so I feel a great sense of responsibility."
"If my work can create a calm vibration in someone's heart, that alone is enough reason for me to continue making art," says Ha Ji Won, who plans to continue working in both fields.
I plan to continue my own story in the future. "The process of drawing is very different from the process of making a TV series or a movie. It is a process that shows a more primal impression, a raw version of myself.
It is a process, and I think it will be completed just before I die. I want to continue to talk about the way I have lived my life, just as it is." As she said, this exhibition is a result, and at the same time,
It is unclear what path Ha Ji Won will take as both an actress and a painter in the future. However, what is clear is that she is a talented actress who has mastered the two different languages of acting and painting.
The fact is that we are constantly exploring ourselves through words.