Taiwanese artist Page Tsou's (鄒駿昇) illustration series "Invisible Bookstore(看不見的書店)" was selected as winner at 2021 American Illustration and 3x3 International Illustration show, respectively.
Tsou has been working on the theme "Invisible Bookstore" over the years, exploring his imagination of well-known writers, architect or scientist owning a bookstore. The award-winning artworks are based on his imagination of bookstores owned by one of Japan’s most celebrated author Miyazawa Kenji, German physicist Albert Einstein, and writer Mary Shelley.
In one of his artworks, he created an imaginative picture of Kenji's bookstore situated in a dense forest with "karahafu (唐博風)" styled arch entrance – a type of Japanese traditional architect, featuring a fascinating world of animals dressed in clothes and reading books, while Kenji leans on the astronomical telescope, looking up at the starry sky with a book.
In an interview with Central News Agency (CAN), Tsou shared his reasons for participating in international competitions. He said, in the past, he takes part in competition to prove his abilities and remain connected to the communities around the world. In recent years, he examines his performance based on the achievements.
Tsou also expressed his gratitude to the Taiwan Pavilion at the Bologna Children's Book Fair. He hopes to share the creativity energy of Taiwan to the world, not only to attract more young creators, but also bringing Taiwanese creations to the world stage.
Born in 1978 in Taichung, Tsou is a picture book illustrator, visual artist, and curator based in Taipei. He completed his MA in Communication Art & Design at the Royal College of Art in 2009 and has been chosen to participate in the Illustrators Exhibition of Bologna Children's Book Fair many times. He was the first Asian artist to win the Bologna SM International Award for Illustration and the Best of Show in the 3X3 Professional Show.