When I began working on my project at Hablar en Arte, I started with some general research on Madrid to look for ideas and things that I found interesting. I came across an article stating that the number of bookstores in Madrid ranks second in the world, after Tokyo's Jimbocho area. As I am a huge bookstore enthusiast myself, I decided to build my story around books and bookstores, which led to a three-page opening for a short comic titled The Labyrinth of Books.

I have always been a great admirer of traditional oil paintings. Picasso, Lucian Freud, and Edward Hopper have been my inspiration for many years. Madrid's museums are packed with classic masterpieces worth spending hours exploring. And it wasn't just artists I was already familiar with; I discovered many more whose works I had never seen or heard of before. Seeing these in person was incredibly inspiring and took The Labyrinth of Books in directions that far exceeded my expectations.

For example, I had initially planned to end the project with a single spread showing readers on the streets of Madrid looking for the next labyrinth of books. However, towards the end of my residency, I was hit by a deep sense of isolation and loneliness. I woke up every day to an empty apartment and wandered around the sunny and crowded streets of Madrid by myself. I realized that if I kept on like this, I would never cross paths with the people here. I was eager to talk to the locals. So I began a minor project and revisited every bookstore in Madrid, from comic shops to literary bookstores. I introduced myself to the owner or staff, showed them the single-page drawing I had previously made of people on the streets, and asked for permission to take their photograph and draw their portrait. In the end, I went to more than 50 bookstores and drew 60 portraits of people working in Madrid bookstores. The group portrait on the final page feels as if they were the ones who built this labyrinth. As a reader, I am simply grateful they are here.

I have visited bookstores in Taipei for over a decade, but never thought of or had the courage to ask the staff if I could draw them. This time in Madrid I drew 60 bookstore staff members during my short stay. It felt amazing to make art based on real people and real life. I guess this would have never happened if I hadn't come to Madrid.

Author: HUANG, LIANG-CHUN (Karmarket)
Edited: Brix