Webtoon artist and TV personality Kian84 (legal name Kim Hee-min)'s work "Starry Cheongdam" has appeared on a secondhand transaction platform for 150 million won, drawing attention.
On the 7th, the secondhand transaction platform Karrot listed Kian84's original painting "Starry Cheongdam" for 150 million won. The seller said about the painting, "I'm disposing of it due to a move," and introduced it by noting, "Compared to other works, it has a unique iconography and a different oil-paint touch."
The piece is a parody of Vincent van Gogh's masterpiece "The Starry Night," and it was unveiled at Kian84's first solo exhibition "Full Ownership," held from Mar. 25 to Apr. 5, 2022.
The work centers on the theme of "desire." At the time, Kian84 explained about the painting, "While thinking about what people most want to have, I thought of real estate," adding, "Whenever I go running along the Han River and see the riverside apartments, I get the sense that modern people treat them like treasures."
Some internet users argue that the 150 million won asking price is high, pointing out that Kian84's total revenue from the first solo show was 87 million won. Online reactions include, "Considering the total exhibition revenue was 87 million won, isn't 150 million won an excessive price?" and "An unconscionable price." Others counter, "Art prices are set by the market."
After controversy grew, the post was deleted.
Meanwhile, this is not the first time a work by Kian84 has appeared on a secondhand transaction platform. In 2024, the piece "Life Adjustment Time 4" was listed around Seoul's Gangnam area for 30 million won and later had its price adjusted to 21 million won.