The Cultural Division of Taipei Representative Office in Italy, in collaboration with Taipei Book Fair Foundation, produced a 2023 calendar featuring the iconic illustrations of 14 Taiwanese illustrators. Revolving around the theme of "I Sogni Si Avverano (Dreams Come True)," other merchandise such as postcards and free desktop wallpaper is also available. This initiative is aimed at establishing a connection between Italy and Taiwan and introducing Taiwanese works to Italian audiences.
In recent years, illustration works from Taiwan have been the focus of public attention in the international art scene, such as the Bologna Children's Book Fair (BCBF) Illustrators Exhibition, which is regarded as the Oscars of the field. Following the successful launch of last year’s calendar, the Taipei Book Fair Foundation was commissioned to curate this year’s calendar, along with illustrators who won awards at the Bologna Illustration Exhibition.
The Cultural Division of Taipei Representative Office in Italy said that in this difficult period of uncertainty caused by the pandemic, it hopes that the dream-inspired illustrations will encourage Italian readers to turn their imagination into concrete action and to live their dreams with courage.
Included in the calendar are distinctive works such as Animo Chen (阿尼默)'s "Love Letter (情批)," Cho Pei-hsin (卓霈欣)'s "Crown Shyness (樹冠羞避)," as well as works by Page Tsou (鄒駿昇), Ballboss, Chen I-jin (陳怡今) and more. The limited edition calendars and postcards will be distributed to major art and cultural institutions, publishers and government agencies in Italy. It is also available for download on the official website of the Cultural Division of Taipei Representative Office in Italy until Dec. 31.