Daejeon, b. 1991

Qwaya is an artist who has built a distinct painterly world rooted in quiet nocturnal reflection and personal records. For him, night is a time to sort through the day and revisit memories—a space for contemplation that remains grounded in reality yet gently distanced from it. This sensibility appears on the canvas, where figures and still lifes coexist with a subtle sense of separation. Though he employs bright and vivid colors, a quiet darkness and stillness permeate his work. His figures bear calm, ambiguous expressions, which he considers the most natural state. While his work reflects a longing for an ideal, it also closely resonates with the realities of contemporary life.