At her solo exhibition held at 4 Insadong 5-gil, Seoul, which opened on June 20 and runs through October 24, artist Park Hyeji explores the material and metaphorical potential of an unlikely subject: wine corks. 

For Park, the humble cork serves as a symbol of both personal taste and social stratification. 

“There are wines that cost over 30 million won per bottle, and others you can pick up at a convenience store for just 10,000 won,” she said. “But true wine lovers, I think, should enjoy wine without being bound by its price.”

 Her works, assembled around this theme, probe the divide between wealth and accessibility, and how luxury and simplicity coexist in contemporary culture. 

“I wanted to express the polarization of capital and class through my paintings,” she explained. Park also noted the diversity of her chosen material: “If you look closely, American and European wine corks each have their own distinct character. I tried to translate those subtle differences into my art.”