Episode 75: Starting is Half the Battle
At the entrance, there were two women and one man.
Seeing the man holding a camera, it seemed like they were here for an interview.
A peculiar tension flowed among the people.
Were they conscious of each other as rivals…?
It was clear they weren’t on the same team.
Kang Lim asked with a slightly awkward expression.
“Where are you from?”
As Kang Lim stepped forward, the woman with glasses spoke first.
Her urgency to get ahead was evident.
“Hello! We’re from Genius Scouting Team. We came after seeing your excellent solo exhibition currently on display at Baekyeon Gallery. We’re wondering if you could appear on our program.”
To win against a rival, bragging was necessary.
The woman spoke confidently.
“If you appear on our program, you’ll become much more famous! Our viewership rating is over 10% these days. You know TV appearances have the most impact, right? Articles don’t get as much attention and fade quickly. If you agree to appear, we plan to create a special program featuring you, Kang Lim.”
Kang Lim chuckled.
‘Genius Scouting Team… After the chaos caused by my sketch of a criminal when I was young, they visited me every day. Even when my mom begged them to leave, they were so persistent… It was incredibly stressful.’
Although it wasn’t the same person in charge now, it was still an unpleasant media outlet.
The memory of them following like paparazzi was too vivid.
Kang Lim shook his head and said,
“Sorry, but I don’t think that program suits me. It’s meant to discover unknown people, and I’ve already been discovered.”
Just as he thought it might sound a bit arrogant,
The woman with the bob haircut burst into laughter.
On the other hand, the woman with glasses quickly waved her hands.
“No, no. It’s not just for unknown artists! We can structure the program so that you meet young prodigies and give them advice!”
Though she said it to persuade him, it only had a negative effect on Kang Lim.
He wondered what if the new prodigies weren’t genuine.
They could use him to promote someone through the media.
He didn’t want to judge a child’s future.
“No, I’m too busy to appear on the program. Sorry.”
As Kang Lim firmly declined, the woman with the bob haircut immediately spoke up.
Looking at her rejected rival, she had a smug expression.
“Hello, we’re not from a TV program. We’re from Korea University Tomorrow. We won’t take much of your time, just a simple interview for the cover model.”
What, Korea University Tomorrow?
Kang Lim looked surprised.
Now it made sense why they were growling at each other like rivals from different media outlets…
Seeing Kang Lim remain silent, the woman continued.
“I’m really sorry for the sudden visit. We’ve been trying to contact you through the email listed in the exhibition catalog, but you didn’t check it… We couldn’t get your phone number, and after seeing the article about you being at the Heyum Residency, we decided to come.”
“Oh, right. I’m not good at checking emails. I should do better from now on.”
“Haha, indeed. You’ll be getting many offers in the future.”
“…But isn’t a model supposed to prepare something?”
“Yes, usually we do a photo shoot, but since you’re special, we want to capture your natural look. Can we film you while you work?”
“Well, that’s fine. I think it’s better than a studio shoot. I don’t have time for anything else.”
“We’ll make sure not to disturb you! We’re really good at editing beautifully!”
At that time, Korea University Tomorrow was incredibly popular.
It was distributed to universities nationwide and was a representative magazine sought after by those in their 20s and 30s.
‘Well, there’s no harm in doing this. I’ll be doing many interviews in the future, so it’s good to get used to it.’
A magazine that provided job information and various cultural and artistic news.
Especially, ‘Who is the cover model?’ was a hot topic every year.
There were hundreds of competitors just for the cover model each year.
‘Many celebrities became famous through this. So, am I going to be on it too? I never thought I’d become a magazine model in my life.’
It was something every college student dreamed of at least once.
Kang Lim said with a satisfied expression.
“Please come in.”
Only the Genius Scouting Team representative had to leave with a disappointed look.
The editor handed Kang Lim a fruit basket and a snack set.
“You opened your solo exhibition on November 11. Although it’s late, I wanted to give you Pepero!”
Kang Lim burst into laughter at the unexpected gift.
“Wow, I didn’t know the opening day was that day. It seems a bit late, but thank you so much.”
The editor also laughed at Kang Lim’s joke.
“Oh, you’re so witty. No wonder your paintings are full of ideas.”
“Oh, no, not at all.”
The editor handed Kang Lim a sheet of paper with prepared questions.
She was holding a recorder in her right hand.
“I can’t write everything down, so I need to record it. Is that okay?”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
“Please feel comfortable. We’ll show you the edited version with photos before publishing.”
“Okay, I understand.”
She smiled brightly and pressed the record button.
A red light blinked.
“Only geniuses get into Han.Ye.Dae! Many people are curious about your college life, Kang Lim. You’ll soon be a senior. How was your freshman year?”
Her tone suddenly changed.
It was a clear reporter’s tension.
Even though it wasn’t for a video, she was this enthusiastic…
Kang Lim flinched but then spoke.
“Ah, um. It was very busy. Our school has a lot of material science classes. Oil painting, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics… I’m still buried in assignments. Professors sometimes give contests as assignments, so I’ve tried cosmetics displays, entered children’s book contests, and made efforts to experience various art fields.”
“Wow, you really have a multifaceted charm. I heard that you won all the grand prizes! Truly an um.chin.a!”
“…….”
At this point, he felt a bit embarrassed.
“Do you also stay up late to work on your projects? It seems like you’d finish a piece in a day and then relax, mocking your friends.”
“…No, I live with dark circles under my eyes every day. I eat, sleep, and do everything at school. Although now I stay at the residency.”
“Such a per.fec.tio.nist!”
He wondered if she was doing this to be funny, so Kang Lim burst into laughter.
The editor continued with a pleasant smile.
“Famous people always have their schedules fully packed. Is it the same for you, Kang Lim? What are your plans?”
Hmm. There were so many that he didn’t know where to start.
Well, it would all be in the article anyway, so it didn’t matter.
Kang Lim spoke about what came to mind.
“First, I’ll have a solo exhibition at Heyum in a month. I’ll work in France in winter. I’ll go to Italy next summer because of the Biennale.”
“…Pardon?”
The editor’s eyes widened.
Her already big eyes seemed about to pop out.
She looked as if she was questioning her hearing.
“Yes, I’ll be participating in the Venice Biennale.”
“Wow.”
The editor was momentarily speechless…
Then she clapped and cheered.
Her eyes were filled with delight.
“We’ve got a huge scoop! This is going to be huge!”
“Haha, is that so.”
“Of course! If our magazine is out before the Heyum solo exhibition opens, all the journalists will rush to cover the news! As you saw today, the broadcasting world is paying attention to you, Kang Lim.”
They said the second solo exhibition was as important as the first.
Could he satisfy all this interest…
Kang Lim let out a short sigh.
“While the Heyum solo exhibition surprised me, the Venice Biennale is even more astonishing! You’ll be the youngest artist to participate!”
“I need to work hard on everything.”
“How can you say that so calmly?”
“No, I was really surprised at first. A lot.”
To the editor, Kang Lim seemed very composed.
Was such poise something one was born with?
She looked at him with envious eyes and said,
“I actually graduated from an art college… So I know how amazing this is. Congratulations!”
“Oh, really? I’ll do my best. Thank you.”
“So, are you working on the Biennale project recently?”
“No, I already completed it. The Biennale requires early submission, and it’s next year.”
“Wow…”
Seeing the editor’s round eyes and open mouth, Kang Lim spoke.
“I need to do that now.”
He pointed to the materials he had set up.
The editor’s gaze followed his hand…
Her mouth opened even wider.
“Wow! Do you also do Oriental painting?”
“Yes, I’m participating in the Korean Art Exhibition, and I want to try something different.”
“Oh my! I also graduated from the Oriental Painting Department!”
Her voice echoed loudly.
Her bobbed hair swayed as she beamed with excitement.
The editor suggested starting the work first, as the prepared glue needed to be used quickly.
They could finish the interview later.
‘Wow, she’s really focused.’
The sight of Kang Lim starting his work was entirely different from before.
It was hard to believe he was the same person who was joking around earlier.
The camera operator was also satisfied with the photos, saying they turned out great.
It wasn’t natural when conscious of the camera, but he made it comfortable by acting like no one was there.
His sharp eyes and precise fingertips.
Kang Lim, meticulously calculating the mixing ratio, looked like a scientist.
Was this a lab?
‘Using beakers is common, but hardly anyone uses an electronic scale… Most people just approximate. Does he have another intention?’
The editor recalled what her professor had said.
[Artisans create significant effects with subtle differences in concentration. You need to research this yourselves. Try varying the basic ratio slightly. This is an unknown world even for me.]
‘But I never saw anyone using special techniques until graduation. Most were approximate with their measurements….’
Where did he learn to handle traditional pigments? Han.Ye.Dae didn’t have an Oriental Painting Department.
The editor started to see Kang Lim overlapping with her professor.
The content of the classes she had taken naturally came to mind.
[Painting is the act of adhering pigments to a surface. It might sound too scientific, but this is the essence of Eastern material science.]
To increase the adhesive power of the pigments, Kang Lim was preparing a half-water solution.
Half-water is essentially coating the paper.
[Ink spreads because hanji absorbs fine particles of ink, creating a smudging effect. But with colored painting, it’s problematic if hanji absorbs the pigments.]
Because the pigment particles are larger than ink.
[Hanji absorbs only the small glue particles and water, expelling the powdered pigments. If the adhesive is absorbed, the painted colors will all fall off!]
Therefore, to ensure the well-mixed pigments adhere, the paper must be coated with half-water.
‘Wow, he really doesn’t take shortcuts.’
Kang Lim was melting the pre-soaked glue in a double boiler with boiling water.
If glue is melted at high temperatures, its adhesive properties are lost, so he used a double boiler to lower the temperature.
The glue slowly melted, giving off a pungent smell.
He added water in the desired ratio.
The completed glue solution was transferred to a glass bottle.
Next, he poured the boiling water, used for the double boiler, into a large basin.
After waiting for it to cool slightly, he measured the water with a beaker.
Finally, he added the measured glue solution and alum to the water.
Alum is typically used as a mordant in dyeing to prevent fading.
Similarly, it prevents the glue from being absorbed by the hanji and fixes the pigments.
‘Now is the perfect time, with steam rising!’
The clear yellow half-water solution.
Kang Lim dipped a large flat brush into the solution.
‘Now I need to apply the solution deep into the paper without leaving any spots.’
But…
This time, the editor’s expectations were not met.
‘What? Why isn’t he wetting certain parts?’
Upon closer inspection, the hanji was already sketched with thin ink lines.
Kang Lim was only wetting the sketched parts.
‘Is he not doing the background?’
As she wondered,
Kang Lim brought a large 120-ho canvas and placed it on the table.
When he lifted the heavy canvas, his arm muscles tensed.
‘Oh, impressive. That’s really heavy…’
Unlike canvas frames, Oriental painting canvases have wooden backings.
The tension of hanji pulling on the wood is immense, requiring support.
Kang Lim quickly applied wheat paste to the sides and fixed the paper.
The front, where the painting would be, must not have paste applied. It could turn yellow.
“Hah, finally done. Oriental painting has such tedious prep work…”
Kang Lim exhaled deeply.
He finished the prep work and dusted off his hands.
But the editor’s expression was odd.
“Are you hot? Your face is red.”
The prep work needed to dry quickly.
Kang Lim ran to open all the large studio windows.
He even turned on the large fan inside.
A cool breeze blew in from outside.
On a clear day with no clouds, it was perfect for coating.
On humid days, the surface could get blotchy or shiny.
Kang Lim smiled brightly and said,
“Now it’s really starting.”
