Byun Dong-rim and Kim Hyang-an Remembered through Art : The Musical L’art reste

     In 1936, university student Byun Dong-rim, who loved coffee, music, and writing, often spent time at Nakrang Pala in Gyeongseong, an old name for Seoul during Japanese colonial period, after her classes. There, she was introduced to Lee Sang, who would later be remembered as a genius poet. After Sang’s confession, Dong-rim immediately left home and got married, but three months later, Sang departed for Tokyo to pursue his writing. So, for Dong-rim to go to Tokyo, she aimed to win the Akutagawa Prize for literature and started writing. However, the following year, Sang was imprisoned on false charges, and his health deteriorated severely. Dong-rim rushed to go to Tokyo to be by his side during his final moments. At that time, Dong-rim was just 22 years old.

     After Sang’s death, Dong-rim, who was spending her time writing essays and novels, met Kim Whan-ki in Gyeongseong in 1943 through an acquaintance. The following year, despite family opposition, the two got married, and Dong-rim chose the pen-name Hyang-an (meaning 'small hill'), which was Whanki’s artistic name, as her own. After marrying Whanki, Hyang an continued her studies, while assisting Whanki in his artistic activities. In 1955, she went to Paris alone to study art history and languages, even preparing an atelier where Whanki can work. When Whanki headed to New York, Hyang-an continued to support his artistic works while constantly writing her own art manuscripts and essays.

     However, after 10 years of living in New York, Hyang-an was bereaved due to the sudden cerebral hemorrhage of painter Whan-ki. Over the next 30 years, Hyang an began painting herself, and debuted as a western-style painter in 1964. She held solo exhibitions in New York and Seoul with her own works, such as Mont Blanc and Anemone. Moreover, she erected a monument for poet Sang, and then organized and managed the copyrights of Whan-ki’s works, and founded the 'Whan-ki Art Museum.'

     The story of her life has been more widely shared through the Korean musical, L’art reste. In the play, the time of Hyang-an and Whan-ki (1943–2004) flows backward, while Dong-rim and Sang (1936–1937) is presented in order. In the end, the time of Dong-rim and Hyang an converge, and the two meet face-to face. At this moment, Hyang-an comforts the young Dong-rim, who once bore the weight of all life’s choices and sorrows alone, and Dong-rim, in turn, empowers Hyang-an not to be afraid of moving forward with escaping the grip of the past.

     The creators of this musical worked closely and continuously with the Whanki Foundation to revise the piece, and this story was finally introduced to the world in 2022. The work shows that the art and the life of one person can become the strength to help another move forward. Artists and audiences say: “Through Hyang-an (Dong rim)’s story, I could gain the strength to willingly bear the pain given to a finite life, the heart to comfort myself, and the courage to move forward.” L’art reste has been performed twice so far, in 2022 and 2023, receiving much attention. In January of this year, it was nominated in five categories at the Korean Musical Awards, and won in three categories.

Lee Jeong-yeon

[Sookmyung Women’s University Department of Culture and Tourism]