Red Tree in a Foreign Land--Australian-Chinese Illustrator Shaun Tan

"They came by water. They didn't live in the trees, like we did. They made their own houses. We couldn't understand the way they talked.... The rabbits spread across the country. No mountain could stop them; no desert, no river.... They ate our grass. They chopped down our trees and scared away our friends.... Where is the rich, dark earth, brown and moist? Where is the smell of rain dripping from gum trees?"

This is a quotation from The Rabbits, a short poetic essay of about 200 words by Australian writer John Marsden. It tells the story of a large number of rabbits spreading like a plague across a new land, destroying the natural landscape. It describes, in fact, Australian colonial history. With Shaun Tan's eccentric, electrifying illustrations, the book makes a strong and quite controversial metaphorical political statement, and for this reason caused heated debate on the Australian book scene.

Shaun Tan spent nine months working on the illustrations for The Rabbits. Because the story portrays controversial aspects of Australian colonial history, it caused a huge debate in Australia.

Learning from science fiction

The Rabbits portrays invading creatures dressed in red and black army uniforms and helmets and waving flags and swords, coming in from the sea in a gigantic surrealistic yellow ship. They build factories pouring out black smoke, and huge apartment buildings. The straight roads, telegraph poles and rows of machines march in lines towards the innermost land. At the end of the book, a rabbit and a native marsupial--symbolizing Australia's Aboriginal people--are pictured facing each other against a background of a starry night sky.

Shaun Tan, a short slim figure wearing sunglasses and a shy childlike expression, appears at a press conference in Taiwan. He tells the audience that after he received the manuscript of The Rabbits from the publisher, he started to create his illustrations without talking to the writer. After nine months, he completed the work in a simply structured form within which was contained the author's complex political metaphor. After media exposure, the book's somewhat disturbing illustrations and content generated a major controversy in Australian children's literature. Many people questioned whether it was too serious a topic for children. But the publicity actually worked in the book's favor, eventually attracting a great deal of attention from both teenage and adult readers.

Shaun Tan has had an interest in drawing since childhood. He was deeply influenced by the books Animal Farm and Gulliver's Travels by English writers George Orwell and Jonathan Swift, and by the American movie Star Wars and TV series The Twilight Zone. When he was drawing, ideas from these and other stories often came to him out of the blue. He recreated the spaceships, robots and strange alien creatures of the Star Wars movies, copying each of them line by line. With influences like these, it's not surprising that his style has a strongly surrealistic flavor.

Tan also tried his hand at creative writing. When only in his teens, he wrote and submitted for publication a long fictional work illustrated with his own drawings. The publishers, however, were only interested in the artwork, which led him to think that maybe it was better to concentrate on this facet of his creative talent. By age 20, he had become a regular contributor of illustrations to science-fiction magazines and thrillers.

Tan was very good at physics and chemistry in high school, so in the beginning he thought he would probably one day become a scientist. It was not to be. At about age 22, he published his first illustrated book, thereby stimulating his interest in creative art, something that has not diminished. He changed his university major to arts, and in the ten years since has been engaged in professional illustration work, completing five books.

Australian-Chinese illustrator Shaun Tan started his creative work when he was a student. After receiving a number of awards, he began making his mark as a professional illustrator. He looks shy and not at all outgoing, and his dark, metaphorical style of art often probes the melancholy and conflict of the adult world.

A gloomy mood

Shaun Tan should not be a stranger to Taiwanese fans of illustrated books. Three years ago his work The Red Tree was introduced into Taiwan by Heryin Press, translated into Chinese by the well-known writer and translator Yu Kuang-chung.

The story of The Red Tree is very simple: A girl with red hair wakes up in the morning in a gloomy mood. Dry leaves are floating around her bedroom, almost submerging her. At night, she returns to her room to find a little red sapling growing from the floor. In her imagination, the red sapling suddenly springs up and grows into a big red tree. Her gloom disappears and a smile appears on her face.

The little girl in low spirits with the sad face is a reflection of how gloomy people tend to see the world, but the meaning of the tale is left to the reader to interpret. The Red Tree, published with both Chinese and English text, has a rich artistic charm aided by Shaun Tan's wonderful illustrations and the elegance of Yu Kuang-chung's translation of Tan's original English text.

Tan tells the story of an Australian psychiatrist who bought 30 copies of The Red Tree as gifts for his patients suffering from depression, a testimony that underscores the impact his works can have on adult readers. Even Tan feels genuinely amazed that patients suffering from depression can discover new life by reading his book, creating an oasis of hope in their otherwise bleak mental landscape.

On this visit to Taiwan, Muses Publishing House is publishing three of his works together: The Lost Thing, The Viewer and The Rabbits. The Lost Thing, in particular, features both illustrations and text by Shaun Tan. It tells the story of a boy who discovers a strange pitiful thing that has lost its way at the beach. The child is attracted rather than repelled by the thing and, despite his parents' objections, decides to take it home. He posts notices hoping to find the thing's rightful home. Eventually, in a little dark lane he finds the place where the lost thing belongs. Tan confesses that when he was working on this story, he had no idea what it might mean--he leaves interpretation to his readers--but it has become his most popular work to date. The book has sold more than 30,000 copies in his home country, not a bad result considering Australia's relatively small population of 21 million. After this, Tan regained confidence in his literary talents.

Australian-Chinese illustrator Shaun Tan started his creative work when he was a student. After receiving a number of awards, he began making his mark as a professional illustrator. He looks shy and not at all outgoing, and his dark, metaphorical style of art often probes the melancholy and conflict of the adult world.

The illustrated book

For children who are used to books with bright, happy, colorful pictures, Tan's style may come as something of a shock. It is certainly distinctive, touching on issues of colonialism, industrialization, social isolation and loneliness. Because he uses a dark and highly metaphorical style to depict the melancholy and conflict that adults confront in their everyday world, a debate has arisen as to whether "illustrated book" always means "children's literature."

Since gaining some degree of fame as an author and illustrator, he is often asked: "Who do you write and illustrate for?" The reason for the question is obvious. Illustrated books are usually about large bright pages full of gorgeous colors with a short, easy-to-read text of a simply structured fairy tale--all the characteristics that indicate a creation designed particularly for preschool children. When an illustrated book goes outside these bounds, society feels a faint sense of unease: Will children accept this type of book? Can they understand?

Tan argues that if the storyline of The Rabbits, for example, were presented in the traditional style: "Once upon a time, people migrated to a new homeland and everyone lived happily ever after," it would have been both boring and unrealistic. Tan often depicts issues of sadness, death and the meaning of existence, topics that are usually considered appropriate only for older readers; should young children be protected or excluded from these real and complex issues of our world? Perhaps teenagers and adults will also be interested in illustrated books that stretch the imagination to the fullest. Why shouldn't illustrated books appeal also to older readers? After all, other visual media such as movies, TV, painting and sculpture don't suffer from such preconceived notions of being limited to a particular group. Why should illustrated books be different?

Australian-Chinese illustrator Shaun Tan started his creative work when he was a student. After receiving a number of awards, he began making his mark as a professional illustrator. He looks shy and not at all outgoing, and his dark, metaphorical style of art often probes the melancholy and conflict of the adult world.

An adult fashion

Observing the development of the illustrated book market in Taiwan in recent years, it seems, in fact, that illustrated books for adults have already taken off to some extent, confirming Shaun Tan's feelings.

Years ago in Taiwan, illustration was seen as merely ancillary to newspaper supplements or literary magazines. Later, mainstream newspapers began to include special illustrated sections, attracting large numbers of loyal readers. Since 1998 when the famous illustrator Jimmy published his book The Moon Forgot, adult illustrated literature has gone ahead in leaps and bounds and has created a healthy market of its own. Publishers have gradually given up the idea that illustrated books belong solely to children's publishing, and have begun to produce a greater number of works for the new market. Illustrated books no longer belong just to younger readers. In fact, many adults have fallen in love with some of these works, not just for reading to their children, but because they have an adult appeal as well.

Illustrators themselves have grown with the new market. Once it became clear that potential readers were no longer limited to just preschoolers, artists no longer needed to create works to please the simpler tastes of children. They are now dealing with more serious attitudes and ideas that, through the form of pictures, can convey any words or emotions they want to express.

During Tan's visit to Taiwan, he met with Jimmy to discuss the world of creative art. According to Tan, some critics claim that the darker, more powerful aspects of his work might simply be a symptom of his age, and that one day he will grow out of his more extreme ideas and become more "harmonious." Tan understands the logic of their criticism, and admits that there is a possibility that his style could one day change. He is presently preparing an experimental new work, Arrival. This new book will be different from normal illustrated books of around only 32 pages; it will extend to 128 pages with no text. The book will use black and white contrasts to illustrate the wandering feeling of people who migrate to other countries. Taiwan shares some similarities with Australia in that both societies were created by groups of immigrants, so Taiwanese readers may have an empathy with this subject.

Tan says that the average working period for a book is about nine months to a year. Because of the period of time required to complete a work, he is unlikely to become a millionaire, but he loves his work and fully intends to continue his creative endeavors. Fortunately, his books are quite popular enough for him to fulfil his wish for the immediate future. An Australian theater is adapting The Red Tree into a children's drama, and Disney/Pixar and the London-based film and animation studio Passion Pictures are cooperating in adapting The Lost Thing for a movie. So Shaun Tan is looking forward to rich and varied opportunities to continue his work, enjoying every chance to communicate with his many readers all over the world.

Shaun Tan thinks that one of the joys of an illustrated book is that one can open the book at any page and enjoy it again and again. Every picture has its own unique artistic appeal--its own life. The Viewer tells the entrancing story of a strange box in a rubbish dump.

Both the text and illustrations for The Lost Thing are Shaun Tan's own work. The book, complete with Tan's highly surrealistic pictures, tells the story of a machine-like monster that has lost its way.

Shaun Tan spent nine months working on the illustrations for The Rabbits. Because the story portrays controversial aspects of Australian colonial history, it caused a huge debate in Australia.

Australian-Chinese illustrator Shaun Tan started his creative work when he was a student. After receiving a number of awards, he began making his mark as a professional illustrator. He looks shy and not at all outgoing, and his dark, metaphorical style of art often probes the melancholy and conflict of the adult world.

Both the text and illustrations for The Lost Thing are Shaun Tan's own work. The book, complete with Tan's highly surrealistic pictures, tells the story of a machine-like monster that has lost its way.

Australian-Chinese illustrator Shaun Tan started his creative work when he was a student. After receiving a number of awards, he began making his mark as a professional illustrator. He looks shy and not at all outgoing, and his dark, metaphorical style of art often probes the melancholy and conflict of the adult world.

Australian-Chinese illustrator Shaun Tan started his creative work when he was a student. After receiving a number of awards, he began making his mark as a professional illustrator. He looks shy and not at all outgoing, and his dark, metaphorical style of art often probes the melancholy and conflict of the adult world.

The Red Tree starts out on a gloomy note, but holds a message of hope and self-renewal.

Australian-Chinese illustrator Shaun Tan started his creative work when he was a student. After receiving a number of awards, he began making his mark as a professional illustrator. He looks shy and not at all outgoing, and his dark, metaphorical style of art often probes the melancholy and conflict of the adult world.

The Red Tree starts out on a gloomy note, but holds a message of hope and self-renewal.

Australian-Chinese illustrator Shaun Tan started his creative work when he was a student. After receiving a number of awards, he began making his mark as a professional illustrator. He looks shy and not at all outgoing, and his dark, metaphorical style of art often probes the melancholy and conflict of the adult world.

Australian-Chinese illustrator Shaun Tan started his creative work when he was a student. After receiving a number of awards, he began making his mark as a professional illustrator. He looks shy and not at all outgoing, and his dark, metaphorical style of art often probes the melancholy and conflict of the adult world.

Australian-Chinese illustrator Shaun Tan started his creative work when he was a student. After receiving a number of awards, he began making his mark as a professional illustrator. He looks shy and not at all outgoing, and his dark, metaphorical style of art often probes the melancholy and conflict of the adult world.