Actor Ha Jung-woo holds solo art show in Busan

Actor and painter Ha Jung-woo is holding his 15th solo art exhibition titled “Next Room,” at Grand Josun Busan until the end of the month, gallery Gana Art Busan announced Thursday.

With the 26th Busan International Film Festival being held from Oct. 6 - 15, the exhibition, also located in Haeundae area, is expected to garner attention from cinema fans and across the arts scene.

A total of 50 pieces, including 24 new works have been unveiled, including Ha’s signature style portrait paintings, as well as drawings done on everyday items, such as branded shopping bags and napkins.

“Visitors will be able to see the life of Ha Jung-woo (in the artworks), not as an actor this time, but as an individual being,” a gallery official said.

Ha has been releasing his works not only as a prolific actor but also as painter during the past years. In 2019, his painting “I Love Film” was sold for 7 million won ($5,852) at the Seoul Auction’s Hong Kong sale, putting him under the spotlight in the emerging artists’ circle.

Last month, the actor was fined 30 million won for illegal use of propofol at a plastic surgery hospital in Gangnam during 2019. Ha did not submit an appeal, admitting to all charges and apologized to the public that he would live a more responsible life.

Meanwhile, Ha has recently finished shooting for an upcoming Netflix Korea original series, “Suriname.” The actor plays the role of a businessman who happens to be mired in a drug-related crime in Suriname, a former Dutch colony in South America.

By Kim Hae-yeon (hykim@heraldcorp.com)