South Korean Artist Reveals the Hidden Beauty of Local Convenience Stores in Acrylic Ink Illustrations

South Korean Artist Reveals the Hidden Beauty of Local Convenience Stores in Acrylic Ink Illustrations
To many people, the architecture of South Korea is represented in the grand ancient Shaman and Buddhist temples. To others, it is represented in the modern soaring skyscrapers that shape the skylines of its metropolises like Seoul and Busan. However, to the artist, Me Kyeoung Lee, the beautiful architecture of South Korea can be seen in those simple local convenience stores which can be found in every corner and nook. The South Korean artist spent 20 years creating beautiful acrylic ink illustrations for a variety of these local stores, which are actually plenty in South Korea with up to 33,000 stores present up to this day.

“There were not many things to see and play like these days,” says the artist, “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.”
Lee’s muted pastel sketches feature the local shops which sometimes carry the traditional architectural style or exist on the ground floor of some old building. They show the various and rich colorful vegetation as well as the stacked goods inside. They are, also, complemented by the little details like the colored umbrellas, the outside chairs and decks, the parked bikes, and the mailboxes. The overall result is charming and unique pieces of art, some of which you can see below.