Episode 49: Living Art
A room with warm ivory wallpaper and a cozy atmosphere.
Through the large window, a grand mountain in the backyard could be seen clearly.
“Teacher. Now that we’ve finished the watercolor, let’s take a break.”
As Seohui opened the window, a pleasant breeze blew in from the garden along the walking path.
Facing the mountain slope.
It was obvious that if you went up to the rooftop, you could see the whole of Seoul at a glance.
“Yeah. It’s time to wrap up.”
One session, four hours.
Seohui was a student who didn’t need any extra tutoring time.
With such solid basics, progressing as is would easily get her into Korea Arts High School.
There was no need to worry unnecessarily about her failing, which made Kang Lim feel at ease.
“That’s my unnie’s room over there!”
Seohui pointed outside the window.
Beyond a small garden and the endlessly stretching green landscape, there was an annex.
“Isn’t it more like a house than a room?”
“Well, it might look that way, but it’s a room! A pretty room just like my unnie.”
“Right…”
That must be the living room of her room that I’ve only heard about.
Kang Lim stared blankly outside the window.
Unlike the modern exterior of the main building, the annex had a design similar to a traditional Korean house (hanok).
The sharp, upward-curving eaves and the graceful wooden porch structure showed that.
“The building is really cool. It looks like the architect paid attention to every detail.”
“You’re the first teacher who’s more interested in the building than my unnie!”
“Hm… I guess your previous tutors weren’t like that.”
“Haha, no!”
Seohui wanted to test out the new teacher.
As Kang Lim expected, previously, Hong Yunki had hit on Seoyeon a few times after seeing her.
She hoped that this teacher wouldn’t be like that at all.
She didn’t want to upset her already busy unnie.
“Teacher. My unnie is really pretty. Should I introduce her to you? She’s also amazing at studying.”
Kang Lim replied in a tone showing little interest.
“No, it’s fine.”
Seohui poked Kang Lim as she spoke.
“Why? She’s really very pretty. She looks very different from me. I look annoyingly like my dad.”
“Not annoyingly…”
“No, it’s really annoying.”
“But people say everyone becomes handsome and pretty in college.”
“Don’t lie.”
“…”
For some reason, Kang Lim found Seohui scary.
“So, should I introduce her or not?”
“No, I’m not interested. I’m also busy.”
“Come on. Even really busy people all date.”
Kang Lim felt a prick in his chest from those words.
Seohui smirked as she spoke.
She was quite a perceptive middle schooler.
“Aha! You have someone you like, don’t you?”
“Yeah. So let’s not worry about that and focus on drawing.”
“Wow~. That’s why you’re not interested in other girls! Cool. Is she your girlfriend?”
“No, just a close friend who helps me a lot.”
“I want to meet her!”
“Enough. Let’s end today’s lesson here and see you next week.”
“Yes! See you next week. Your British accent was really cool today. Goodbye!”
Kids are really sharp sometimes.
Kang Lim made an exasperated face and left Seohui’s room.
Seohui waved her right hand energetically until Kang Lim was out of sight.
Her mom must have felt the same way, but he was truly a teacher she liked.
A few days later.
Kang Lim made 24 canvas frames and fixed all the pieces for his mother’s series.
For Gerald’s class presentation and to submit for a gallery solo exhibition portfolio, it was time to start filming.
“Seoyeon, did you bring the camera?”
“Yes! Let’s go shoot after the anatomy class.”
“Thanks.”
Kang Lim was always grateful to Seoyeon for helping him.
But on the other hand, he felt sorry for calling her so often.
This time, they would take photos together, and if he won the prize in the fairy tale book contest, he thought it would be right to get a camera.
Seoyeon seemed to read Kang Lim’s mind and said,
“Taking photos isn’t hard at all! Looking at your work is really fun.”
“Wow… Really?”
“Of course. But didn’t you already take pictures of what you were drawing in the lab? Do you have more to shoot?”
“Yes. It’s a series. I’m submitting it for a solo exhibition.”
“Wow. A solo exhibition? That requires a lot of paintings. Do you have many ready?”
“I have a lot. I’ll show you when we get home after class.”
“What… I’m really looking forward to it.”
Seoyeon smiled brightly at Kang Lim.
As the warm sunlight shone between them, Professor Yoonhyun entered for the anatomy class.
“Alright, everyone knows today is a free drawing day, right?”
Early in the second semester. Unlike the first semester, Yoonhyun focused on drawing female models.
Female models are more suitable for studying the beautiful lines of the human body rather than the shapes of muscles.
By drawing various curves, students could train to enhance their intuitive observation skills, escaping from the somewhat linear and rigid male body.
Students also enjoyed drawing female models more.
It was because it required a more sensual feeling than precise anatomical knowledge.
“This time, draw freely with the materials you want. It’s croquis.”
Kang Lim brought simple natural charcoal.
A material that can quickly express lines thicker and darker than a pencil.
Especially, natural charcoal, though softer than compressed charcoal or conte, can also express soft tones.
To enhance his descriptive power, Kang Lim had sharpened several pieces to a fine point.
Yoonhyun turned off the classroom lights and lowered the screen.
Does this mean we’re not drawing a model today?
Students sitting in a circle on the floor tilted their heads.
As expected, Yoonhyun turned on a video that everyone would’ve seen by this time and said,
“Today, we will draw Kim Yuna’s senior debut performance. It’s a passionate tango!”
The classroom buzzed with excitement at Yoonhyun’s words.
There were murmurs everywhere about how it would be possible to draw such rapid movements.
Models were always in still poses, so it was at least drawable.
Drawing a moving person perfectly is impossible.
It’s not like they had the ability to remember frames of a video.
Knowing this well, Yoonhyun smiled and said,
“Don’t worry. Since the athlete’s expressions and movements are varied, it’s natural that you can’t draw it all in one go. I will show it repeatedly. Try to capture and draw even a single scene well.”
At that time, Kim Yuna was a sensation globally.
Everyone gathered in front of their TVs to watch her performances live, and she broke world records daily.
A perfect performance combining skill and artistry.
Kang Lim was also a fan of hers.
“Alright. Let’s begin.”
As the video started, the athlete stepped forward, placing her left arm beside her face and extending her right arm.
From the preparatory pose, every fingertip was alive.
Matching her movements, Kang Lim gripped the charcoal.
How could she bear the weight of the world at that age?
She was a person who was moving just by her existence.
Taking a deep breath, Kang Lim followed her movements.
To the melancholic melody of the music.
Drawing the pulled arm as if playing a haegeum with sharp lines.
Then, the incredible speed cutting across the vast ice.
While swiftly sketching the trajectory with his right hand, he explosively smeared the lines during the jumping scenes.
After that, the smooth landing as if nothing had happened.
This time, he spread the charcoal powder with his left hand over where his right hand had traversed.
As the music’s melody turned eerie and she smiled chillingly, he grasped the pre-sharpened charcoal.
Capturing that expression accurately, he froze time.
When the rhythm changed again, and the audience started clapping to her movements,
Kang Lim freely adjusted the strength of his lines, creating a sensuous tango rhythm.
With arms extended, swinging as if warning the audience.
The elegant step sequence that was perfectly in sync with the music landed directly onto the paper.
Beautiful yet sorrowful.
The graceful violin melody and somber melodion drew a single line, slicing through the ice.
In the Biellmann spin, he delicately drew the wing-like back muscles.
Following the final climax of the rising violin, he tightened the lines sharply.
Intense poignancy!
Bringing her hands behind her head and bending her waist completely backward in an Ina Bauer.
He gently eased his hands and then forcefully pressed the intense lines during the spin, as if waiting for it.
When the performance ended, applause filled with shock and awe was heard…
Kang Lim also snapped out of his concentration and looked around.
“…Wow. What the heck, scared me.”
Everyone, including Yoonhyun, was surrounding Kang Lim.
Since the music started, everyone had been watching Kang Lim.
The expressions of the professor and students were identical.
Slightly parted lips and widened pupils.
Faces flushed with disbelief.
Friends, blinking with dazed eyes, spoke all at once, as if someone had finally broken the silence.
“Wow, that’s crazy.”
“Kang Lim, you’re truly insane.”
“Is it possible to draw that in one go… It felt like it was moving on every page…”
“That’s really insane! So cool.”
“I’ve never seen someone do live drawing this well!”
Yoonhyun felt his heartbeat quicken and his mouth go dry.
How could he draw as if he was in perfect sync with the music and movements?
It felt like the entire performance was being broadcast live in Kang Lim’s sketchbook.
Experienced and intense eyes.
Seductive and mature transitions.
The drawing, capturing everything, gave the viewers a sense of catharsis.
Yoonhyun stood still and thought.
Just like in figure skating, when a unique individual emerges in any field, it naturally draws attention.
Could modern art, which isn’t well known yet, also be loved because of this kid?
He felt it might just be possible.
Bulkwang-dong, Eunpyeong-gu.
Seoyeon followed Kang Lim up the hill.
Climbing the steep slope left her out of breath.
Holding Seoyeon’s camera, Kang Lim laughed and said,
“You need to exercise more.”
“Ha. I think so too.”
“The house where I tutor is also on a hill like this, but the atmosphere is completely different from our neighborhood.”
“You tutor too? Isn’t it busy…?”
“I go only once a week, so it’s fine.”
“That’s amazing…”
“Oh, right. The kid I teach has a name similar to yours? Same last name too. It’s a single name.”
“What is it?”
“Seohui.”
As he climbed the hill, passing red brick houses, the newly built building at the top was Kang Lim’s house.
Seoyeon froze as soon as she heard her sister’s name from Kang Lim’s mouth.
No way… Is the new tutor Kang Lim?
“What are you doing? It’s here.”
“Oh! Right.”
Entering the building, Seoyeon recalled the drawing Kang Lim made earlier.
Thinking about it, it felt like she had seen it before.
Like déjà vu…
“By the way, Kang Lim, did you draw a ballerino on the entrance ceremony day? I saw a drawing then that seemed to have memorized the entire solo. It was definitely live drawing.”
As he opened the door, Kang Lim was surprised and said,
“Oh! How did you know? I drew it because the reinterpreted version of Tchaikovsky’s Waltz of the Flowers was so cool.”
“So it was you… My mom really liked your drawing then…”
“Were you sitting nearby?”
“Yes… I was a few rows back.”
“Wow. That’s amazing. It must be fate.”
Kang Lim opened the door and guided Seoyeon to his studio.
“Alright. Come on in.”
“Oh my god… This is unbelievable.”
Seoyeon placed her right hand on her sternum.
Strong memories evoke special emotions.
Back then. Her heart raced after seeing Kang Lim’s drawing at the entrance ceremony.
And…
It was the same now.
Seoyeon stared at the scene before her as if she had lost her soul.
Like a printing press with large stacks of paper, drawing towers filled the room.
Materials scattered around like war debris.
The air told how long Kang Lim had been struggling here.
Suddenly silent, Seoyeon recalled what the planning manager had said.
[Great artists have an aura of mystery, and curators spend their lives studying to delve into their depths. Interpreting the artist themselves, that’s what curators do. What kind of life did he lead to create such drawings?]
How could any curator not be moved by such an artist?
Kang Lim was someone to be desired.
Seoyeon opened her mouth to speak but found no words.
If she spoke now, it felt like nonsense would naturally come out.
Parted lips.
After a deeper inhale,
Exhaling slowly, she spoke.
“I really want you, Kang Lim.”
