Chaekgeori is a unique genre of still-life painting that flourished during the Joseon dynasty of Korea, especially under the reign of Emperor Jeongjo (1776-1800). Typically, it depicts bookshelves full of “books and things” (chaekgeori), a pleasant eye candy to bibliophiles of all ages. It was also a thematic inspiration behind the Gyeongui Line Book Street project in the Mapo district, intended to be a multipurpose cultural hub utilizing books to enrich people’s lives. Another inspiration was the Hongdae neighborhood surrounding it, an area with a high concentration of publishers in…
