Award-winning British illustrator Neil Packer, an international guest at this year's Southern China Book Fair, explored the cultural dialogue between Eastern and Western art during his visit to Guangzhou's JC Cartoon Art Museum, where global comic traditions converge with Chinese classics.
The museum, home to beloved classics from "The Smurfs" to China's "Nezha" and "Sanmao", showcases the global evolution of comic art. Packer, whose credits include illustrating "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", found inspiration at every turn.
They all stood out, Packer said when asked about his favorites.
"The first one which I chose, which is this chap here. I love it because of its simplicity. And because it's totally the opposite of what I do. It is stripped of pretty much all the information, but there is still so much character," he said.
As he explored the galleries, Packer reflected on the distinct philosophies of Eastern and Western art.
"Here your art was always free. And you have these beautiful landscapes, with mountains that appear to float, because to the Western eye, we can't read them, but it's fog, and mist," he said.
Talking about how he might depict China, he envisioned "asymmetric perspective, which is how East would draw cities, and no vanishing point."
The 2025 Southern China Book Fair runs from August 15 to 19 at the Canton Fair Complex in Guangzhou. This year's fair built an International Culture Exhibition Hall to encourage worldwide cooperation and exchanges, with 20,000 original publications from 23 countries and regions available in the themed pavilions.
British illustrator explores China-West artistic dialogue
China is willing to strengthen communication, enhance trust, eliminate interference, and deepen cooperation with Canada to bring bilateral relations forward on a steady and sound track in solid strides under the new circumstances, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, met with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand in Beijing on the day.
Referring to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit to China, the first by a Canadian prime minister in eight years, Wang said the trip marks a milestone in bilateral ties and signals a turning point in the relationship.
The leaders of the two countries will hold meetings and talks, which are expected to open up new prospects for bilateral relations, said Wang.
The world today is undergoing profound and complex changes, and the impact of China-Canada relations transcends the bilateral scope, Wang noted.
Wang said that China and Canada have different social systems, stemming from different historical and cultural heritage, and based on the choices of their respective people.
He urged both sides to view each other in a rational and amicable manner with an inclusive mindset, handle issues on the basis of mutual respect, focus on the agenda of cooperation, and send positive messages so as to foster optimism, inject greater confidence into the development of bilateral relations, and jointly build a new type of strategic partnership between China and Canada.
Anand said the new Canadian government attaches great importance to relations with China. She also added that Prime Minister Carney looks forward to engaging in in-depth exchanges with Chinese leaders during the visit to set the course for the development of bilateral relations, resume dialogue in various fields, pursue more mutually beneficial outcomes, enhance coordination and cooperation in multilateral affairs, and further advance the strategic partnership between the two countries.
China ready to work for steady, sound ties with Canada: FM
