CULTURAL EVENT

Live Art Performance

Experience K-beauty through the eyes of a contemporary Korean artist, Sol Kang.

Over the course of two days, a featured K-artist will create a live abstract painting inspired by the theme of K-beauty globalization. The artist will begin Saturday morning and complete it by Sunday.

Using acrylic on canvas, the artist will build layered textures and expressive forms in real time. Guests are invited to observe the process, engage with the artist, and experience how K beauty expands beyond products into art and storytelling.

Sol Kang

b.1997, Seoul, Korea

Lives and Works in Los Angeles, CA

Sol Kang is a multimedia artist who investigates the friction between racialized identity and the labor of social survival. Central to her practice is the concept of "sugarcoating"—redefining it not as an act of sweetness, but as a defensive weapon used to navigate a world that demands the "freshness" and "smoothness" of the Model Minority. Drawing from the visual cultures of anime and the internet, she explores how East Asian girlhood necessitates imperfect survival strategies.

In her works and painting practice, she translates these themes by observing the tension between a "flawless" exterior and the internal labor of identity-making. By utilizing bold aesthetics and vibrant visual languages, she embraces an unfiltered state as a refusal to stay passively palatable for public consumption. She expands this concept to ceramics, time based installation and animation.

Kang holds an M.F.A. in Fine Arts from Seoul National University and a B.F.A. from Hongik University. She is currently an M.F.A. candidate in Visual Arts at the California Institute of the Arts.

For this 2-day live painting performance, the artwork explores the intersection of Korean beauty, Asian subculture, and the theme of "complicated girlhood." K-beauty is often celebrated for its pursuit of a flawless, smooth surface—a process of care, enhancement, and transformation. However, this live painting reinterprets that transformation through the conceptual lens of "makeover", framing the act of beautification not merely as an aesthetic choice, but as a complex psychological armor.

Drawing visual inspiration from the vibrant, expressive aesthetics of anime, manga, and internet pop culture, the large-scale canvas will evolve in real-time. By completing the painting live in front of an audience over two days, the performance intentionally exposes the hidden "labor" and messy, raw process behind maintaining a perfect exterior.

This live creation bridges the intimate, often intense journey of self-creation with the free-spirited, contemporary energy of the audience. Ultimately, the performance invites viewers to look beyond the "pretty surface" and celebrate the resilience, friction, and layered complexity of modern girlhood.

Samulnori Performance

Experience the sound and movement of Korea’s traditional percussion.

A five member Samulnori group will move throughout the festival, performing across

booths and gathering on the lawn for high energy moments. Rooted in Korea’s

agricultural traditions, Samulnori uses four key instruments to represent elements of nature including thunder, wind, rain, and clouds.

Each performance combines rhythmic intensity with coordinated movement, creating an immersive cultural experience. As the performers travel through the space, guests will encounter spontaneous bursts and energy that bring the festival to life.

This performance carries the spirit of Korean tradition into a modern, shared experience.

Samulnori - Pan Gut Performers

Performers are represented by:

Performance Team Name: Oolim (pronounced like “oohl-leem”)

Director's Name: Kyoung Ah Lee

Director Contact Number: 213-249-4131

Director Email: oolimsound@gmail.com