Kian84 holds his second solo exhibition, 'Kian-do: The Strange Island'

Kian84 is a South Korean webtoon artist who became widely known as a television personality, notably through variety shows in which he appears as a candid, self-deprecating figure. In 2024 he held his second solo exhibition, titled 'Kian-do: The Strange Island'.

The show followed his first solo exhibition and continued his effort to be taken seriously as a painter and visual artist, not only as a cartoonist and entertainer. The title plays on his own name, turning it into the name of an imaginary island, and presented his world as a place of odd, humorous and personal imagery.

The exhibition drew attention in Korea because of his large fan base from webtoons and television, which brought many visitors who might not otherwise attend an art gallery. It also fed public debate about how celebrities from popular media are received in the art world. The show became an important step in his artistic career and set the stage for later exhibitions, including his third solo show, 'Giwon'.