Czech illustrator highlights Taiwan culture at Prague book show

Prague, May 18 (CNA) Czech children explored Taiwan's railway culture at a workshop held Saturday at the Book World Prague fair, where they were invited to draw their imagined versions of Taiwanese train stations.

Some children filled their pages with colorful mountain-and-sea landscapes, while others drew steam-breathing locomotives.

Their workshop instructor was Tomáš Řízek, a Czech illustrator and publisher who has long drawn inspiration from Taiwan and was the main force behind Taiwan having a meaningful presence at the Prague book fair.

Řízek founded Mi:Lù Publishing in 2014, and it published translated works by Taiwanese authors Wu Ming-yi (吳明益) and Liao Hung-chi (廖鴻基) that were featured at this year's event.

It was the children's workshop, however, that reflected Řízek's own works, which document Taiwan's history, culture and daily life through illustrations.

His picture book "Go, Go, Magical Train" (Jeď, jeď, kouzelný vláčku!), published in Czech to introduce Taiwan to European readers, depicts Taiwan's train station architecture and scenery along the railway.

Řízek told CNA that he visited most of the places he illustrated and found that many stations had historical significance as legacies of the Japanese colonial era.

While some of the historical stations have vanished from daily life or been demolished, others have been valued and restored in recent years, he said.

Taichung station, which has preserved its original structure, made a particular impression on him.

Řízek said he devoted considerable time and effort to each illustration, which he drew in egg tempera, a technique rooted in medieval European art, while his friend, Taiwanese author Liu Ka-shiang (劉克襄), wrote the text.

Řízek said his works and participation at the book fair were aimed at helping younger readers understand the multiple layers of Taiwan's culture, not only its Chinese culture, but also the history of the Japanese colonial era (1895-1945).

Beyond "Go, Go, Magical Train," Řízek has illustrated several other Taiwan-themed picture books, including "Night Market Boy" (Chlapec z nočního trhu), which captures night market life, and "Little Rain Monster," set amid the landscapes of Yilan.

His work has earned several international honors, including the Premio di Alpi Apuane and the Andersen Prize.