bela
Originally from Paju South Korea, bela (they/them) is a musician and a performance artist based in Berlin. They are known for electronic music performance merging pungmul - a Korean folk act rooted in agricultural traditions and linked to past social movements - and vocals inspired by extreme metal. bela shapes pungmul into the ritual for queer rage and grief with sub-heavy distortions and cries.
Since moving to Berlin in the autumn of 2022, bela has been announced as a participant of SHAPE+ Platform 23'-24'. They have presented their work across different stages in Europe including Berghain, Trauma Bar und Kino, Schauspielhaus Zürich, Cafe OTO, A4 Bratislava among many others. They have performed in experimental music festivals CTM Festival(DE), Ephemera(PL), Unsound Kraków(PL), and Rewire Festival(NL). They also participated in European art festivals transmediale(DE) and EVA International(IE). bela is a co-runner of Sorrow Club: a mixed event series spanning from music to non-music.
Photo: Camille Blake