Taiwanese comic artists, Siyouko (硝子) and MN, have been selected to participate in the Kitakyushu City residency project this coming November. This project is a collaboration between the Ministry of Culture and the Kitakyushu City Government to support the comic industry in Taiwan and to enhance international exchanges.
Previously an art designer for a game development company, Siyouko is currently a freelance illustrator and comic artist assistant. She is known for narrative short comics such as “Maouke (魔王家)” and “All About Periods (大姨媽百科)”, as well as jointly designed the board game “Psalms of Avians (羽人圖錄)” with the Antler Studio. During the residency, she is going to create a 16-page black and white short comic “Manga, History, Kitakyushu”, and two pieces of illustrations to introduce the historical monuments in Kitakyushu.
Author of “The Blurry Viewfinder (觀景窗內不聚焦)”, “Silent Mailbox (無聲信箱)”, and several other series, MN is a freelance comic artist who is an expert at translating everyday conversations into images with soft colors. She is expected to create six short comics during the residency, along with recording and sharing her findings in Kitakyushu through social media.
The residency project in Kitakyushu was launched in 2022 to promote interaction and exchanges among comic artists from Taiwan and Japan. The 2023 edition will include the Kitakyushu Pop Culture Festival, a live drawing event, and a visit to the Kitakyushu Manga Museum, and the two artists will create three illustrations based on local impressions as a gift to the city. With the outstanding artists joining the Kitakyushu residency project, MOC is looking forward to elevating both countries' comic industries through long-term collaboration.