Illustrations from China get global platform

In the main hall of the Bologna Children's Book Fair in Italy at end of last month, where China was the guest of honor, the Chinese Original Illustrations Exhibition, subtitled Dream, was on display for four days near the main stage, attracting interest from more than 20,000 fairgoers.

The illustrations either showed typical scenes from Chinese life or used traditional ink-and-wash skills to tell a contemporary story. Some works were avant-garde explorations of art and storytelling.

The exhibition, covering 300 square meters, featured 150 illustrations by 30 artists, selected from more than 1,000 works by 190 artists. The featured artists included the country's first illustrator to be shortlisted by the Hans Christian Andersen Awards, Xiong Liang, as well as Zhu Chengliang, Cai Gao and Yu Hongcheng.

The book fair, a key international platform in the children's and teenage reading market, offered a central stage for Chinese illustrators. Since China was the main guest country, it was able for the first time to take a large group of illustrators abroad.

Qin Nan, the founder of Ananas Illustration, a platform and agency for Chinese illustrators, says: "I felt obliged to take Chinese illustrators to greet the world, and to showcase their works on the beauty, harmony and inclusiveness of Chinese culture."

The fair also gave the 14 Ananas illustrators a future chance to work with the Peabody Essex Museum in the US state of Massachusetts and a Bolognese association.

At the event, illustrator and artist Mou Aili drew many to her handmade dolls, which will be featured in a picture book.

In China, the tradition of illustrations for books can be traced back 1,200 years. But contemporary children's books in China have typically emphasized the written word.

It is only recently that more illustrators' works have been seen in books, says Zhao Haiyun, an official with the administration that oversees the country's press and publication.

Speaking about the changing trend, Zhao says: "I remember 2006 as the starting point," attributing the development to the country's emphasis on educating the younger generation, greater global contacts and publishers' growing confidence.

Meanwhile, publishing professional Jiang Yanping said at a symposium during the book fair that the past 20 years have been a golden era for children's literature, and that in 2017, picture books and encyclopedias accounted for a major chunk of the sales in the children's book market.

This development has presented new opportunities for Chinese illustrators. So, after 11 years in the publishing business, Qin, the founder of Ananas, moved to launch an illustrators' community.

"In the Chinese value system, the notion of family is important, and I hope our illustrations send out the message of love, warmth and shared development," he says.

meijia@chinadaily.com.cn