International traveling exhibition Mangasia has invited Taiwanese comic artists Li Lung-chieh (李隆杰) and Chiu Row-long (邱若龍) to hold workshops in Nantes, France as part of the exhibition's grand opening on June 30.
Li, 36, is a Taiwanese comic artist who illustrates significant episodes and intriguing anecdotes from the nation's history. The combination of local customs with bold and explicit fighting scenes provide an alluring glimpse of the forces that shaped Taiwan.
His stand-alone comic "1661 Koxinga Z" pits Federick Coyette, the last Dutch governor of Taiwan, against the titular Koxinga, a young Ming loyalist and son of a pirate who would eventually establish his own kingdom on Formosa.
Chiu, 53, is an artist, documentary maker, and elder son of asphalt painter Chiu Hsi-hsun. He has transformed his interest in Taiwan's indigenous cultures into several comic series that detail tribal customs and beliefs.
He is most famous for his graphic novel "Comic Bale," which portrays the 1930 Wushe Incident from the perspective of the indigenous Seediq people. Chiu placed particular emphasis on gaya, or ancestral rules guiding the behavior and etiquette of all Seediq people.
At the June 30 workshops at Mangasia, Li will discuss the maritime powers that fought over Taiwan and how he utilizes nautical symbols in his drawings, while Chiu will introduce the timeless lore of the Seediq tribe and hold a demonstration of how he draws his characters.
The two artists will also hold a book meet at La Géothèque bookstore in Nantes on the morning of June 30, where they will be joined by Lin Li-chin (林莉菁), a Taiwanese comic artist currently based in France.
Li Lung-chieh Workshop
- Date: June 30, 2018
- Time: 2.30 – 3.30pm
- Host: Le Lieu Unique
- Address: Quai Ferdinand-Favre, 44000 Nantes, France
Chiu Row-long Workshop
- Date: June 30, 2018
- Time: 4.30pm
- Host: Le Lieu Unique
- Address: Quai Ferdinand-Favre, 44000 Nantes, France
Taiwan Comic Artists – Book Meet
- Date: June 30, 2018
- Time: 10am
- Host: La Géothèque
- Address: 14, Rue Racine, 44000 Nantes, France