Angoulªme: For Taiwanese comic book artist Ruan Guang-min, his homeland is a "sweet potato-shaped treasure trove" of cultures and a largely untapped inventory for rich ideas. Speaking with CNA at the 52nd Angoulªme International Comics Festival in France last week, Ruan said that he found French readers to be more accepting of Taiwan comics than those in Asia.
According to Focus Taiwan, Ruan expressed that European readers are primarily interested in the quality of the artwork, without requiring artists to be well-known. "What is interesting is that you don't need to be well known. European readers only care about your drawings -- they like it, they buy it. Their acceptance and inclusiveness are pretty broad," Ruan stated. Known for capturing Taiwan's stories, people, and history through his illustrations, Ruan expressed his happiness in introducing Taiwan to foreign readers.
The French translation of Ruan's 2011 comic "Seasoning to Happiness" was showcased at the Taiwan Pavilion during the festival, attracting significant attention. Published as "L'assaisonnement du bonheur" in French, the comic was a major attraction, with readers flocking to the booth of its French publisher, Asian District. Ruan noted that the inspiration for his stories originates from the island nation of Taiwan.
Ruan highlighted his award-winning 2022 comic adaptation of Taiwanese poet Loa Ho's novel "The Steelyard" as an example of Taiwan's often overlooked cultural heritage. He recalled being inspired to adapt the story at the invitation of Taiwan literature professors who were eager to introduce Taiwanese literature from the Japanese colonial era to a broader audience.
Despite growing up in a culturally mixed family, Ruan admitted that he was not familiar with Taiwanese literary giants like Loa Ho. His education focused on Chinese writers like Xu Zhimo and Zhu Ziqing, whom he feels do not accurately represent modern-day Taiwan. In Ruan's opinion, writers such as Loa and Lung Ying-tsung, despite their focus on the Japanese colonial period, better define Taiwan's literary history.
Ruan emphasized that Taiwan is a place of various languages and ethnicities, and the Japanese era is a significant part of its history. He believes that recognizing this fact is essential for Taiwan's culture to gain more recognition. To that end, Ruan aims to adapt works of Taiwanese literary masters, including Loa, Lung, and Lu Ho-jo, to raise awareness of these stories among Taiwanese people.
"If no action is taken, if no more people tell these stories, a lot of our history will regrettably disappear," Ruan warned. He described Taiwan as a land rich in cultural diversity, with foreign influences waiting to be explored. "Even though some things were not born and raised there, they are still cultures foreign nations planted deep within Taiwan awaiting discovery," he concluded.