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Veteran Korean singer Kim Wan-sun stages solo art exhibition in New York

Published: 12 Mar. 2026, 13:01 Updated: 12 Mar. 2026, 16:22

Singer Kim Wan-sun's artworks ″Icon on Demand 6,″ left, and ″Icon on Demand 7″ (2025) [KWSUNFLOWER]

Veteran Korean pop singer Kim Wan-sun will stage her first solo art exhibition in New York with works exploring identity, autonomy and the legacy of her pop star persona.

The exhibition, titled “Icon On Demand,” will run from Friday through March 31 at the Tenri Cultural Institute, her agency KWSunflower said on Wednesday.

The title carries a double meaning. It recalls Kim’s past life as a pop star shaped by public demand while declaring that she has become a creator who now produces her own images, according to KWSunflower.

Kim will display works including “Untitled-Red” and several self portraits.

U.S. art critic Thalia Vrachopoulos described the exhibition as an expression of a fierce will to dismantle the coercive system that once controlled the life of a pop icon and to establish autonomy as an artist, according to KWSunflower.

She added that Kim’s works depicting the tearful eyes of a woman behind torn masks effectively visualize the violence imposed by modern society and the psychological scars it leaves behind.

Kim's first release was the song “Tonight” in 1986, with this year marking the 40th anniversary of her debut.

She drew renewed attention last year with the single “Lucky” (2025), featuring Seulgi of the girl group Red Velvet.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]