SOUTH KOREA. Shinsegae Duty Free has partnered with the Seo-Bo Art and Cultural Foundation to host an exclusive cultural experience centred on the work of renowned Korean painter Park Seo-bo.
Eight select VIP customers were invited to a private wearable art class in Seoul on 3 September, where they delved into Park Seo-bo’s creative vision before translating inspiration from his works into their own personalised jewellery pieces.
The experience began with a private session led by Seo-Bo Art and Cultural Foundation curator Park Jung-won, who provided an in-depth introduction to Park Seo-bo’s artistic practice and his representative Ecriture series.
Participants also received rare access to unfinished works, offering a closer look at pieces that are not normally accessible to the public.
The session also featured Sarah Park, designer at art jewellery brand Hazina, who introduced the Park Seo-bo X Hazina collaborative edition and led an art brooch-making workshop inspired by the Ecriture series.
Participants worked with powdered gemstones and dyes in colours inspired by Park Seo-bo’s works, hand-painting their pieces and adding personal interpretations to create individual jewellery designs.
The programme concluded with a tea session, providing an informal setting for participants to discuss the artworks and exchange perspectives on art.
The initiative builds on a series of collaborations between Shinsegae Duty Free and the Seo-Bo Art and Cultural Foundation, including the Park Seo-bo x Paul+Bani Art Space at Incheon International Airport in 2024. The art space integrated the artist’s works with Shinsegae Duty Free’s original Paul+Bani character.
Held under the theme ‘Park Seo-Bo: 70 Years of Art, A Journey of Self-Discipline and Challenge’, the exhibition featured his representative Ecriture series alongside early works such as Primordialis and Hereditarius, offering travellers an introduction to Korean contemporary art.
Shinsegae Duty Free continues to expand its VIP offering through annual programmes, designed to deliver value beyond the retail environment, with experiences tailored to customers’ diverse interests and lifestyles.
The class offered customers a more immersive experience of Korean contemporary art through collaborations with leading cultural institutions and artists.
A Shinsegae Duty Free official said, “This class was planned as a programme that goes a step further from appreciating Park Seo-bo’s artistic world, allowing participants to create their own objets inspired by the works and keep them in their daily lives.
“Going forward, we will continue to offer Shinsegae Duty Free’s unique VIP experiences that reflect customer tastes through collaborations with major domestic cultural and art institutions and artists.” ✈
