By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
Fans may still remember her as the feisty and cute Jan-di who captured the heart of F4 leader Jun-pyo in the hit drama "
Boys over Flowers". But there's more to
Koo Hye-seon than just acting.
The 24-year-old Koo has not only released a novel "Tango" last April, but is also showing her artistic talent in a solo exhibition at Gallery La Mer, Insa-dong.
With a sweet smile, Koo shyly admitted she greatly admires Italian master Leonardo Da Vinci.
"Some might laugh, but my role model is Leonardo Da Vinci. One of my favorite teachers gave me a book `Think Like Da Vinci'. I was influenced by it. Reading the book made me realize that even if we're not geniuses and have our shortcomings, we can still accomplish a lot in our lives. This gave me more confidence", she said in a press conference at the gallery last week.
The exhibition features around 40 of Koo's illustrations. Some of the works may be familiar for readers of Koo's first novel "Tango", about a young woman's bittersweet love. It is also the title of a song by Ryuichi Sakamoto, which inspired Koo's writing.
Koo said she draws every day for one or two hours in her studio at home. Aside from illustrations for her novel, Koo has also done artwork for singer Gummy's fourth album.
"I want to share my works with everyone. I hope everyone can come and see my exhibition", she said.
Koo does show a talent for drawing, but to have a solo exhibition of her works may seem premature.
The repetitive swirls of blue ink on white canvas can get old fast, especially when the entire room is filled with similar works. Koo's small, delicate ink illustrations show a great attention to miniscule details.
Aside from drawing and writing, Koo said she is also writing a script for a full-length film. She has written and directed a short film "The Cheerful Caretaker", which was included in the Busan Asian Short Film Festival.
At the exhibition opening, heartthrob actors
Lee Min-ho and
Kim Jun, her co-stars from "
Boys over Flowers", met Koo to show their support.
Proceeds from the exhibition will be donated to the WITH campaign. The exhibition runs through July 7. Visit
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