Comic artworks expressing friendship between Taiwan and Japan will be displayed at this year's Taipei International Comics & Animation Festival (台北國際動漫節). These works are created by Taiwanese manga artists, in response to the artworks by prominent Japanese manga artists during the 10th anniversary of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake last year.
Participating manga artists include You Su-lan (游素蘭), Tsai Hung-chung (蔡鴻忠), Ruan Guang-min (阮光民), Yeh Ming-hsuan (葉明軒), Cory Ko (柯宥希), Monday Recover (星期一回收日), MN, Ponjea (彭傑), among others.
Taiwan Tohan (台灣東販) pointed out that the Chinese Animation and Comic Publishers Association invited Japan - Taiwan Exchange Association to organize the exhibit again, inviting 120 Taiwanese artists to create artworks with their signatures to thank Japan. It also noted that Japan donated vaccines to Taiwan six times last year, and Taiwan donated 10,000 oximeters, 1,008 oxygen concentrators and other medical supplies to Japan. Such mutual assistance and mutual trust reflect the firm friendship between Taiwan and Japan amid adversity.
Last year, comic artworks by Japanese manga artists that are known among the Taiwanese public were featured at the "Japan – Taiwan Friendship Signing and Illustration Exhibit (台日友情簽繪展)." The artworks include "Kosaku Shima" by Kenshi Hirokane, the horror works of Junji Ito, the "Crayon Shin-chan" series, and "Cells at Work!" by Shimizu Akane, among others. The 108 thank-you artworks by Japanese manga artists from last year's exhibition, along with 119 art prints, will also be displayed at this year's festival.
The Taipei International Comics & Animation Festival will last from Feb. 10 to 14 at the Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall 1. For more information, please visit the festival's official webpage.
(Photo credit: Taiwan Tohan)