"The boundaries of objects are illusions created by our perception, so I express subjects through brushstrokes without outlines. Completing a painting through each movement of the brush is a process of discovering my own uniqueness."
Actor and painter Park Shin-yang described his work this way at a press conference ahead of his second solo exhibition. The exhibition "Park Shin-yang's Exhibition Show: The Fourth Wall" introduces approximately 150 paintings he has created over the past decade. Most are large-scale works of 100 ho (approximately 162 x 130 cm) or larger, filling the entire 400-pyeong (approximately 1,320 square meters) exhibition space.
Park has been immersed in painting at his studio in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province. "Everything that happens in the world is ultimately a matter of expression," he said. "I express emotions and subjects through the movement of the brush, and in that process, I am discovering my own uniqueness."
The exhibition's most distinctive feature is its "theatrical" approach. The title "The Fourth Wall" refers to the invisible boundary between stage and audience in theater.
The exhibition space is designed to resemble both the artist's studio and a theatrical stage. Approximately 1,500 euroform concrete molds surround the space, creating an atmosphere like an actual workspace. Fifteen actors dressed as "spirits" of painting tools—paint, brushes, and palettes—move freely through the gallery, breaking down barriers with visitors.
"I wanted to move away from the structure of simply showing paintings and provide a new experience for visitors," Park said. "I hope this exhibition allows viewers to actively complete their own stories within the space."
Park served as his own docent that day, introducing his representative works. His paintings repeatedly feature subjects such as apples, friends, bullfighters, bulls, and donkeys. They are characterized by intense brushstrokes without defined boundaries.
Apples in particular are a key motif symbolizing his artistic world. The inspiration came from watching two apples given to him by Bishop Doo-bong while living in Andong. Conversations with the bishop during a turbulent period helped him grow both as an artist and as a person.
Park also recalled being scolded during art class as a child for not drawing an apple properly. "I was taught that apples are round and red, but that's just a 'symbol'—real apples aren't like that," he said. "The apples from the priest carried feelings of gratitude, and I wanted to paint the real apple I felt." His apple series alone comprises 30 to 40 works.
"Kirill," one of his representative series, consists of portraits painted in longing for a friend he met while studying in Russia. "After painting for over a decade, I looked back at what my emotions were, and it turned out to be longing," Park said. "It's not so much about a specific person but a longing for the time when I pursued art in its purest form."
The bullfighter, bull, and donkey series are works that reflect the artist himself. He compared the pressure of constantly having to express himself as both actor and painter to "a bullfighter receiving a charging bull." He also found reflections of his own life in the donkey silently carrying heavy burdens.
Park also introduced his book "The Discovery of Emotion: We Must All Become Artists," which contains his artistic philosophy. "In today's busy world, emotions are increasingly pushed aside," he said. "To become more human, we need to understand and express our emotions more deeply."
The exhibition runs from March 6 to May 10 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts Museum in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
