I see it time and time again. “She’s aloof.” “Can she even try to smile?” “Hyewon is the worst performer in IZ*ONE by far.” “She looks like she’s having war flashbacks on stage.”

No.

Her facial expressions are calculated, concise, and fully intentional. In other words, genius. When she has that look of “gazing in the distance,” it is fully intended and is a successful effort to capture the souls of the viewers in a way that has never been done before in kpop history. Every time an audience has the honor of being exposed to her ever-so-graceful presence, not only are they basking in the fluidity of her movements — they are wondering what she is looking at. The question is, is this on purpose? The answer is yes.

In Hyewon’s artistic genius, not only does she want to give a visual experience to the viewers, she wants to invoke mental stimulation as well. A true artists knows that an artistic piece is open to interpretation by the audience — a Rorschach test of sorts — and a way for the individual to project one’s self onto an otherwise blank surface. This is Hyewon’s art. What is she looking at?

She is looking at whatever you want her to be looking at. And what do you want her to be looking at? What you want to be looking at. It’s genius, it’s riveting, and it can’t be successfully executed by anyone but her.

Hyewon.

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