Chapter 221
Chapter 221
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 221
Chapter Title: MONA's Proposal
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Director Go, Carrie, and I sat around the table with it in the center.
A solo exhibition, huh.
Carrie could have just talked to me directly, really.
That would have been the proper way to go about it.
But she'd heard about my relationship with Director Go through Hyorin.
From Carrie's standpoint, this was her way of showing maximum courtesy in making the proposal.
Up until now, I'd only ever held solo exhibitions at Director Go's Arnia Gallery.
It was basically asking her to play the role of my agent.
"So, what you're saying is you want to hold Painter Kanghyeok Lee's solo exhibition at MONA Gallery, right?"
At Director Go's words, Carrie nodded.
"Yes. Is that possible?"
The director had plenty to think about.
Truth be told, even sticking to exhibitions in Korea alone sold more than ninety percent of my works.
There was no real need to hold one in America.
But Director Go wasn't solely focused on sales.
That was the biggest reason I hadn't gone anywhere else so far.
"Very well. I'll help however I can."
Growth was Director Go's motto.
A gallery on the level of Arnia didn't need to bother with university graduation exhibitions at all.
They could easily fill their schedule just by booking famous artists for solo shows.
And yet, she participated in those graduation shows every year without fail.
She'd scout out artists with real potential from the start and propose solo exhibitions to them, taking the lead in their development.
'That's how someone like me even came to exist.'
I owed Director Go a huge debt.
Not just for sponsoring Daeun, but for helping me reach this position in the first place.
"As expected, your personality is as bold and generous as they say."
At Carrie's remark, Director Go looked at her and asked,
"You heard about me? I haven't done anything that would spread rumors all the way to America."
"People with that kind of presence always end up making waves somehow."
"Hmm... Was it Hyorin who told you?"
Nod.
"I'd only heard about you."
"Only heard?"
"Exactly that. I heard stories about you and got curious. So I looked into it a little, and that's when I realized just how impressive you are."
Admitting she'd looked into Director Go herself could rub someone the wrong way.
But knowing her personality like I did,
if she'd shown up without doing any research at all, I figured she'd be even more disappointed.
Coming in informed about her counterpart's caliber meant she was bringing commensurate terms to the table.
"Then I suppose we don't need to negotiate conditions."
"Naturally, we intend to maximize the benefits for the artist. I'm sure that's what you want as well, Director."
Nod.
She must have been pretty satisfied.
Her expressions didn't change much, so others might not notice, but I knew.
Answering that promptly meant Director Go was acknowledging Carrie too.
"By the way, I had no idea Hyorin had such a cool friend."
"It's nothing compared to Hyorin's talent."
"If you're talking talent, you mean her eye for art, right?"
"Looks like you knew about that too."
"How could I not? Hyorin's eye for paintings is probably one of the best in the country—no, the entire world."
So Director Go knew about Hyorin's gift for appraising art.
Which explained why.
'No wonder she agreed to support Daeun so readily. There was more to it.'
She hadn't said it outright, but I found myself admiring Director Go all over again.
"Now then, I'd like to hear what the artist himself thinks."
With that, Carrie looked me straight in the eye and asked,
"Painter Lee, have you considered holding a solo exhibition at our MONA Gallery?"
She'd finally asked the question she'd been building up to.
This proposal just might be a chance I wouldn't get twice.
Maybe meeting Hyorin really was a gift from the heavens, pure luck.
Thinking of Hyorin again, I gave my answer.
"I'll do it."
The negotiations for the solo exhibition wrapped up faster than I'd expected.
Since it was going through Arnia Gallery, there wasn't much for me to do.
All I'd handled was laying out my plans for how many pieces I could prepare by when.
Once everything was settled, we stepped outside, and Daeun came running up—she'd been waiting.
"Daddy! Doing a solo exhibition?"
"Yeah, looks like it'll be in America this time."
"America! After Daeun's solo exhibition ends, let's go to America!"
Carrie, who'd overheard, smiled and asked,
"You're coming to America?"
"Oh, yeah. Thinking of heading there right after Daeun's exhibition wraps up. Oh! Speaking of which..."
The real reason Daeun and I were going to America was to see that painting with Horyeong and Aram.
It was the one Hyorin had appraised.
From what I'd heard back then, the Anna Morrison painting Hyorin had seen belonged to Carrie's parents.
That jogged my memory, so I asked Carrie,
"You know that Anna Morrison painting Hyorin saw a while back?"
"Oh, that one."
"Yeah. Some friends of mine want to see it. Any chance? I've only heard about it myself, so I'd love to check it out too."
Carrie agreed readily.
"Of course. When you come to America, I can show you around the gallery at the same time. Two birds with one stone."
I'd never imagined we'd actually get a chance to see the painting Hyorin had appraised in person.
Seeing it firsthand would make it so much easier to grasp what emotions she'd felt back then, compared to just hearing about it.
But if anyone was more excited about this prospect than me, it was Carrie.
"I hope you both come to America soon."
Her expression had this somewhat intimidating edge to it.
Bzzz.
Right then, someone's phone rang.
It was the staff member who'd been managing the studio for me.
"Hang on, gotta take this."
"Go right ahead."
I picked up, and I could hear the staffer talking about moving Daeun's paintings.
-Oh, Painter Lee. The movers are here. Should they take everything from the storage room?
"Oh man, I'm so sorry about this. That's something I should be handling personally."
I'd gotten permission beforehand, but...
Still felt bad for putting it on her.
-No, no, this is my job. So, everything from storage? Oh, and there's one more piece in the studio itself. What about that?
A piece in the studio? Oh, was she talking about the painting I'd done?
"Oh, that's one I painted. I'll handle moving it myself, so just leave it be."
-Got it. We'll do that, then. Once everything's moved, I'll give you a call back.
Click.
That wrapped up the call with the staffer.
Just then, Director Go came out of the office and asked,
"Kanghyeok, you finished that painting you were working on?"
"Oh, I was just about to mention it. Yeah, it's done."
"That painting from before? Wait, you did a new piece recently?"
Carrie sounded curious too, so I nodded with a smile.
"Yeah. I'm thinking it might end up as the lead piece for the solo exhibition."
Carrie's face lit up with curiosity at that.
"If it wouldn't be too much trouble, could I see it?"
"The painting?"
Well, there wasn't any real reason not to show it.
"Sure, no problem. But we'd have to head to the studio."
"Absolutely fine by me. I've got nothing but time while I'm in Korea anyway."
Yeah, fair enough.
The talk about my solo exhibition had only just wrapped up.
Not sure if she had other plans.
Daeun's exhibition news had thrown everyone's schedules into flux, making them longer than expected.
I was about to answer with an awkward smile when,
"I'll come too."
"Sure, Director. You heading over? Aren't you busy?"
"This is work too, so I should. No matter how packed my schedule is. We can swing by, I can grab the painting and store it. Shall we take my car?"
Somehow, we'd all ended up agreeing to head to the studio to see my painting.
And then Daeun chimed in.
"Daddy's painting is super awesome! Auntie might freak out when she sees it!"
Daeun seemed to be loving this whole situation.
We arrived at the studio in Director Go's car.
In just a few days, I'd have to vacate the place.
All the time spent here came flooding back like cherished memories.
They'd live on forever in Daeun's memory, at least—which made me grateful.
At the very least, every memory made here was a happy one.
"Oh! You guys are early."
As we headed to the entrance, we ran into the staffer who'd been sweeping and tidying up inside.
"Oh, you already moved all the paintings?"
"Yeah. Finished moving them and was just cleaning up."
"Oh! Cleaning? Let me help with that..."
But she smiled brightly and shook her head.
"Nah, I just finished. Oh, guests! Want some tea?"
Director Go asked Carrie, who shook her head.
"We had some right before we came, so we're good."
"Okay! I'll be downstairs on the first floor if you need anything!"
With that, she quickly gathered her cleaning supplies and headed down.
Director Go watched her go with a peculiar glint in her eye and muttered,
"Hmm. She does good work."
Uh... she wasn't planning to poach her, was she?
This wasn't some random stranger's studio, and even if it was, surely she wouldn't headhunt staff from another business...
'Right?'
Well, at least she hadn't gotten a business card—at least there was that.
Carrie asked,
"Is this the studio you've been using recently?"
"Oh, yeah. The department store provided it when they set up Daeun's solo exhibition. A nice gesture since we didn't have our own space."
"Hmm. So once you leave here, no studio? If you need one, our gallery could provide a space for you to work in until your solo show."
"Oh, no need. Anyway, Daeun and I were planning to find a shared workspace."
I'd done enough exhibitions to know.
Offers like that always came back as obligations later.
Might seem a bit cold, but it was better to decline.
"I see."
Carrie looked a touch disappointed, which made me chuckle for no reason.
Director Go, Manager Jung, and now even Carrie.
What was with everyone trying so hard to give me everything?
Right then, Carrie pointed to the lone easel standing in the middle of the studio.
"Is that your piece?"
"Oh, yeah. That's it. Let me show you right now."
With that, I brought over the painting I'd poured a full month into completing and showed it to everyone.
Carrie, upon seeing it...
"Ah..."
She couldn't tear her eyes away from it for the longest time.
Just standing there, blankly staring at the finished work I'd made.
And after who knows how long...
Carrie broke into a beaming smile and spoke.
Her words left me wide-eyed.
"Now I get why Hyorin talked about Painter Kanghyeok Lee the way she did. Back then, I didn't really understand what she meant, but now I do."
She went on,
'...What?'
Love... prepared for death?