K-Pop idols are known for being multi-talented, but it usually stays within the realms of music and entertainment. SEVENTEEN’s The8 is amongst the idols known for their art skills and his talent was noticed as the idol was invited to contribute original art pieces for a special K-Art exhibition called the Start Art Fair at the prestigious Saatchi Gallery in London.
As soon as the tickets came on sale, the two sessions immediately sold out and those arriving at the Saatchi Gallery on a cold Saturday morning were able to enjoy a flood of The8 photocards and plenty of frog merchandise.
Before even looking at any of the pieces, one thing already made The8’s art stand out: while many of the artists chose bold and extravagant names for their pieces, The8’s art was labelled “Untitled.” Whether it was intentional or not, the SEVENTEEN idol allowed fans to interpret the pieces themselves through something as simple as the freedom to take in the art without any preconceptions.
While many of the pieces were new to CARATs, some photos instantly had crowds around them as they were already familiar to fans worldwide. One piece often appeared in live broadcasts done by the members and was perfect for any CARAT (the name for SEVENTEEN's fans), with the bright colours, different patterns, and small details.
Such small details in the work meant a lot for fans, whether it was the infinity sign, The8’s signature, and, more significantly,“13+1+1+1+1,” which is known to represent the thirteen members, the three subunits and CARATs that make up the special “SEVENTEEN.”
Perfectly placed next to that piece in question were two other paintings that also drew on abstract inspirations and seemed to use similar techniques. In particular, the techniques used looked like The8 had dripped the paint onto the canvas rather than traditional brushstrokes.
From there, it seemed like the pieces turned from “The8” art to “Minghao” (his birth name) art, drawing on his raw emotions to create something beautiful and intense. One of those, which was unsurprisingly very popular, was the painting seen in the “Hai Cheng” video that was released in March 2022.
In the music video, the painting perfectly captures the meaning of the song. In real life, the colours and textures showcase the thoughts and emotions and of the painting even more. Every brushstroke had a purpose and created something so realistic that it was easy to feel like you could reach out and touch the stone heart.
By contrast, many of the pieces conveyed much more subdued and sombre feelings with darker colours and intense brush strokes.
Three pieces in the collection were fundamentally different but exuded the same emotions: whether it was a mix of colours created to look like a dark and foreboding night in the mountains, a gold and black piece that wouldn’t seem out of place in the Industrial Revolution, or the mix of greens and blacks to create something interpreted different by everyone, The8’s identity could still be felt in every piece.
Most of the pieces focused on bold brushstrokes, but one piece conveyed an even deeper story. With a bright red and orange sky, there was a canvas with what looked like a hooded figure. Depending on your outlook on life, you could interpret it in many ways.
Was it death walking to get his next victim? Why was someone trying to run away into the sunset and away from their problems? Is a person watching those he loves while trying to camouflage himself? Each person could look at it and see a completely different story that they could relate to.
Another much smaller piece had a similar feel, with a silhouette of someone in the centre of the canvas, surrounded by unpredictable brushstrokes, seemingly conveying the chaos in someone’s mind.
Like in many an art exhibition, The8 had two pieces for sale. While using completely different colours, both pieces utilised similar brush strokes and seemed to focus on the elements: fire and water. Considering how beautiful they both are, it was not surprising that the two pieces got sold on the first day of the exhibition.
SEVENTEEN fans worldwide know just how talented The8 is as he has showcased his art skills on a number of occasions. Yet, there was something special about being so close to the pieces, seeing the brushstrokes, the colours, and the textures in real life that made each piece even more magnificent. In person, you could see the story behind the strokes and feel the emotions The8 would have had when creating each piece.
Artists can only dream of having their work appear in the Saatchi Gallery and The8 achieved it: not solely because of his name, but clearly because of his talent.
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