Jeon In-ji (28) once had a hard time due to malicious comments and rumors on the Internet. “She pushed herself to her bottom,” she reproached herself, spilling her tears once. Jeon Ji-ji, who she used to be, has become much brighter this year. In June, she reached the top of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, a major event on the Women’s Professional Golf (LPGA) Tour of the United States. He said, “It was a great strength to get her peace of mind through painting.”
Jeon In-ji made her debut as a painter. Until the 7th of next month, she is holding an exhibition at Bon Gallery in Gwanhun-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul with the theme of ‘The Parrot Meets Dumbo: When Curiosity Becomes Her Art’. In this exhibition, 20 works in collaboration with Park Seon-mi, a teacher famous as a parrot painter, will be presented. ‘Dumbo’ is a baby elephant with big ears, the main character of the animation, and is also the nickname of Jeon In-ji, who is always curious.
Prior to the exhibition, Jeon In-ji, whom she met in a studio in Seocho-gu, Seoul, was wearing an apron and was immersed in her last-minute work. She said, “When the season ends, she usually hangs out with her friends, but this time she lives in her studio. There were times she didn’t step outside for 14 hours and she even slept here,” she said.
When asked about her paintings, Inji Jeon pointed to one of hers. She said, “Dumbo here is crying as she drops her question marks. This is how I looked when I met the author. But in the other picture, Dumbo is flying through the sky with a smile on his face.” Jeon In-ji said, “I was nervous and anxious because there was no championship for a while, but I gained comfort and confidence through the painting and artist Seon-mi Park.” 토토
It was last December that Jeon In-ji met writer Park Seon-mi. Author Park’s husband was the head of one of Jeon In-ji’s sponsors at the time. Jeon In-ji was invited to Park’s studio, drew her pictures, and had many conversations. The two developed a relationship between master and disciple. Inji Jeon says that even during her touring life, she carried a sketchbook and paint set and sketched, and whenever she came to Korea, she collaborated with artist Park.
Learning to paint changed her life and attitude towards golf. “When I paint, some days I despair, saying ‘Oh, it’s ruined’. However, there are times when the work comes back to life the next day. The same goes for golf. You can’t just hit good shots in 18 holes. The important thing is to focus on the shot right in front of you. Standing on the course with that mindset and dealing with life made me feel much more comfortable.”
Which word do you want to hear more, ‘Inji Jeon, a painter’ or ‘Inji Jeon, a professional golfer’? Jeon In-ji said, “I don’t want to miss both,” and added, “I plan to focus on my job, golf, but continue painting in my spare time like now.” “My teacher praised me for my usual sketching skills, but once again I felt desperately that drawing was not easy,” he said, adding, “I want to challenge the abstract painting that I always liked while continuing the Dumbo and Parrot series.”
As for next year’s goal, he picked ‘Career Grand Slam’ without hesitation. Jeon In-ji, who has won 3 out of 4 LPGA career victories with major championships, will achieve a major record if she wins either the Chevron Championship or the AIG Women’s Open. Jeon In-ji smiled brightly, saying, “To be honest, we both want to win the championship,” and “I want to deliver good news as soon as possible.”