Singer and painter Solbi of 'Sikgaek Heo Young-man's Baekban Journey' has taken on a new challenge.
The Oct. 19 episode of TV CHOSUN's 'Sikgaek Heo Young-man's Baekban Journey' (hereafter "Baekban Journey") depicted the meeting of Heo Young-man and Solbi enjoying summer at Upo Wetland in Changnyeong. Solbi said, I also want to paint when I see places like this, admiring the tranquil scene of Upo Wetland. Heo Young-man asked, Don't you think of any particular painting?, and Solbi replied, Monet's paintings always come to mind, satisfying Heo Young-man.
Heo Young-man and Solbi headed first to a sogure gukbap restaurant that has been in operation for 48 years. Sogure is the subcutaneous tissue attached between a cow's hide and flesh, known for its chewy texture.
Heo Young-man explained, Sogure is not something you can eat just anywhere. The owner of the sogure gukbap shop said, When I was young, sogure was truly a discarded part. People started selling it at market day stalls, and it was perfect with a shot of soju, recounting its origin and imparting a special tradition and sentiment.
Solbi savored the charcoal-grilled sogure. Solbi exclaimed, It's chewy rather than fatty, and when you chew it, it resembles makchang. It's so delicious, and Heo Young-man described the texture, When you chew it, the elasticity should break, but there's no place for it to get caught in between. It doesn't break. The cool broth packed with sogure and blood pudding had a slight offal odor to Heo Young-man, but Solbi confidently said, I don't find any offal smell. My taste is a bit different, expressing her opinion boldly.
Heo Young-man asked about Solbi's two names. Solbi said, I use Solbi when I perform as a singer and my real name Kwon Ji-an when I work as a painter. Solbi, who has been active as a painter for 13 years and as a singer for 20 years, boasted an impressive career. Heo Young-man chuckled, I've been doing Baekban Journey for 7 years.
Heo Young-man asked about Solbi's bold acts, saying, You don't usually take such challenges on broadcasts, referring to her exhibition-like behavior. Solbi said, In 2017 I performed on a music show while painting onstage. She said, It was a performance that sublimated the hurt and discrimination I received as a woman into my own pain. It received massive criticism. People said that's something for a museum, why do it on a music show?, and she humbly accepted that the criticisms considered her stage a controversial work.
Meanwhile, Solbi also tried acting. At the time, her bumbling yet quirky lines earned her the nickname "baekchimi" (innocent air), and Solbi said coolly, I did a kind of pure-feeling variety show, and people thought it was baekchimi. Heo Young-man asked, Are you not associated with baekchimi these days?, and Solbi laughed, I had some baekchimi when I was young, but now I just seem a bit silly.
Solbi has now also transformed into a screenwriter. Solbi said, It will be produced as a web drama, making Heo Young-man envious.
[Photo source] TV CHOSUN 'Sikgaek Heo Young-man's Baekban Journey'
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