I applied for this residency in hopes of breaking away from my usual routine and learning how to create art again. Most of my previous visuals were commercial collaborations, such as editorial illustrations or commissioned comics. Although these projects retained my style in some way, they were ultimately created in service of others. Affected by negotiation and compromise, it became difficult to realize my ideals. This led me to think about the creations I truly want to make. Through the residency, I hoped to secure some independent time for rebuilding my creative practice.

The residency took place at Maison des Auteurs, literally “House of Authors” which is part of the Cité internationale de la Bande Dessinée et de l’Image initiative in Angoulême. As the host city of the Angoulême International Comics Festival, Angoulême has gradually developed a comics-centered cultural ecosystem. This includes a comics museum, paper museum, comics library, cinema, and a variety of comic bookstores, all of which form a well-integrated network. For me, it was an eye-opening experience to interact intensively with artists from different countries, each with their own creative visions, including some whose work I had previously followed online. Having the chance to speak with them in person felt incredibly fortunate, and this proved to be an excellent way to gather insights and expand my creative references. Observing other artists’ work was deeply inspiring. For instance, the original drawings displayed at the comics museum demonstrated diverse possibilities of formal expressions.

During this time, I participated in activities at the Taiwan Pavilion of the Angoulême International Comics Festival, where I joined other comic artists in live drawing sessions. The audience’s immediate reactions to the visuals were powerful for me; it was a rewarding experience to see how much people enjoyed my work. I also strongly felt the support provided by the Taiwan government to comic artists. National-level exhibition booths were relatively rare at the festival, and I was grateful for the visibility and assistance this platform provided. We shared a close-knit working atmosphere that felt familial.

Author: You Cheng-shiun
Edited: Brix