Mikael Hwang

OSULLOC 1979 is a flagship teahouse and cultural space in Seoul that celebrates the heritage of the OSULLOC tea brand and the rebirth of Korean tea culture. Six artists were invited to interpret the essence of the OSULLOC 1979 experience, each drawing inspiration from a fundamental force of nature—sunlight, wind, fog, dew, water, and earth. Together, these six themes create an ever-shifting soundscape mirroring the cycles and moods of a tea plantation across the day in Jeju, where the tea is grown.

I contributed to the ‘water’ theme, focusing on sounds that are fluid, calm, and reflective—representing water’s ubiquitous role in tea. Water nourishes the tea plants in the fields, appears as dew and mist, moves nutrients through the leaves, and ultimately brings out the flavor and aroma in every cup of tea.