To showcase the vibrancy of Taiwanese comics, the Cultural Division of the Taipei Representative Office (TRO) in Italy hosted an exhibition titled “Comic From Taiwan” at the 58th Lucca Comics & Games Festival held from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3.
The exhibition featured Taiwanese comic artists Ruan Guang-min (阮光民), HOM, Ding Pao-yen (丁柏晏, pen name “日安焦慮 Morning Anxiety”), and Monday Recover (星期一回收日) to the event.
The showcased comic books included Italian translations of Ruan’s “The Corner Store (用九柑仔店)” and “Railway Sonata (鐵道奏鳴曲),” HOM’s “Priceless (無價之畫：巴黎的追光少年),” Ding’s “Console, 2073 (2073年的電子玩具),” and English translation of Monday Recover’s “Pink Ribbon (粉紅緞帶),” covering a diverse range of genres.
Additionally, Ruan’s “The Corner Store” was selected for the Lucca Comics Awards, competing with over 300 entries from all around the world.
The Cultural Division of the TRO in Italy noted that the Ministry of Culture has been promoting Taiwanese comics to the world through various means, such as participation in international comic festivals and residency programs, hoping to raise the global profile of Taiwan’s comic arts.