As my comics lie between Japanese manga and European bande dessinée, leaning toward artistically driven storytelling within a commercial context, and as my work has found greater resonance in the European market, exploring the tradition of bande dessinée became a central focus of this residency, with particular attention to French bande dessinée. In my recent project Lost Gods 2, I explore the encounter and clash between Taiwanese folk spirits and European monsters and witchcraft traditions. Researching European witch legends and rural folklore was an essential part of my fieldwork.

La Maison de la bd de Blois is an institution that combines comics promotion with arts education. The artist-in-residence apartments are spacious and comfortable, making them ideal for creative work. Living alongside other artists allowed us to observe each other’s work in progress and exchange publishing insights. During my residency, I participated in the Angoulême International Comics Festival. I illustrated the 2024 Taiwan Pavilion’s key visual, “Island of Creativity,” featuring a twin-hulled ship of Taiwanese and Austronesian folk spirits sailing into a wider world. I was also invited by organizers for the first time as a featured artist to attend the 13th Paris SoBD Comics Festival, the 2023 Montreuil Children’s Book Fair, and the 2023 Dijon Kamo Con. Additionally, Maison de la bd de Blois arranged a workshop at a junior high school in Vendôme, where I gave a speech about how I became a comics artist and guided students to design their own monsters. Around a hundred students took part in this event. European youngsters seem intrigued by East Asian comic artists. They are familiar with Japanese manga but curious to learn more about Taiwan. This curiosity opened space for me to share Taiwanese mythology through my lens, blending folklore with visual storytelling. During this time, I created 2 books: Lost Gods 2 and Monster Island, a coming-of-age story about a boy who encounters Eastern and Western monsters on an island.

I’d recommend having solid English or French language skills before applying for this residency program. If you have a book scheduled for publication in France, be sure to inform your publisher about your residency period ahead of time. They will likely arrange a number of book signings and talks, which are great chances to introduce your work and connect with new people.

Author: Evergreen Yeh
Edited: Brix