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Me Kyeoung Lee's charming paintings of the small convenience stores of South Korea

You'd think a typical convenience store wouldn't even inspire the greatest artist on the planet, but for South Korean Me Kyeoung Lee, she sees a beauty in their mundane and functional form, creating charming paintings of those she discovers on her travels around her home country.

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Small South Korean convenience store with blue signage flanked by blooming cherry blossom trees, painted by Me Kyeoung Lee

She's spent the past 20 years documenting these little corner shops, many of which are now disappearing. She recalls a happy childhood when these stores were commonplace: "There were not many things to see and play like these days, 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."

Often including the surrounding nature of each building she depicts, Me Kyeoung Lee also picks out every tiny detail you can imagine – from the signage and products on display in each window to little bicycles leaning against their fronts. Discover more of her beautiful artworks on www.leemk.com.

All images copyright of leemk.com. All rights reserved

A vibrant yellow tree with sprawling branches spreads across the front of a modest brick convenience store with Korean signage, surrounded by flowering plants and small storefronts
A detailed illustration of a small Korean convenience store with potted flowers on the roof, a bicycle parked outside, and Korean signage, surrounded by everyday street details.
A small South Korean convenience store with a red-tiled roof and pale walls, fronted by a delicate cherry blossom tree in full pink bloom, with traditional signage and a red postbox visible
Watercolour painting of a small South Korean convenience store with blue roof, surrounded by lush green trees, with an umbrella stand, bicycle and potted plants outside
Watercolour illustration of a small South Korean convenience store with a blossoming cherry tree growing above its green roof and a bicycle leaning against its front
A watercolour painting of a small South Korean convenience store with a large pink flowering tree growing above it, laundry hanging from a line, and everyday items scattered around the building
Detailed watercolour painting of a small South Korean convenience store with green tiled roof, displaying products in windows, a bicycle leaning against the front and flowering tree overhead
A small South Korean convenience store with a red wooden door and green roof, depicted beneath a blooming pink cherry blossom tree in Me Kyeoung Lee's detailed painting
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