While Hallyu fans take an interest in Korean culture because of its massive entertainment industry and eye-catching fashion sense, South Korean artist Me Kyeoung Lee pays homage to the country’s scores of tiny bodega-style shops.
In this series of acrylic paintings, Lee made use of a muted palette and delicate brushstrokes to bring out the rustic charm of South Korea’s mom-and-pop shops. The painter has been in love with these neighborhood hangouts since she was young and now honors them in this whimsical collection.
“There were not many things to see and play like these days,” she told My Modern Met, “but there was a time when I was happy to have a coin in my hands and run to a shop and hang out with friends gathered in front of it.”
[Photos via My Modern Met]
