Explore Suzy Lee's wordless world in a special art talk

(CLO) On the afternoon of November 16, in Hanoi, Kim Dong Publishing House coordinated with relevant units to organize a special art talk show "Stories beyond the silence".

The event was held on the occasion of the launch of two famous wordless picture books by Suzy Lee - “Wave” and “Shadow”.

Inspired by the book “The Wave”, the show invites viewers to step beyond the boundaries of narrative to listen to the “whispers” of images and sounds – stories that can only be felt by the mind and experience of each reader.

Space of the special art talk "Stories beyond the silence" at Kim Dong Publishing House.

At the event, children's book curator Pham Thi Hoai Anh and the audience "opened each page" of "The Wave" to discover how Suzy Lee tells stories through the physical structure of the book: unexpected borders, the boundary between reality and fantasy, between limits and freedom.

Continuing the story of the painting, music curator Phan Do Phuc leads the audience to a series of variations performed by artists of the Vietnam Youth Symphony Orchestra (VYMI). From a minimalist musical idea, the artists expand into new dialogues, imaginations and discoveries similar to the way Suzy Lee develops the main lines in the book. No words, just shapes, rhythms and white space.

“The Wave” takes the reader to the open beach with the girl’s pranks and the mischievous waves; while “The Shadow” opens a chase between reality and fantasy in a dark room. The two works are part of the “Border Trilogy”, where the artist exploits the spine of the book as a “border” of imagination.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Dung, Head of the Picture Book Editorial Board of Kim Dong Publishing House shared at the program.

Sharing at the program, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Dung, Head of the Editorial Board of Kim Dong Publishing House's picture books, said that wordless picture books, although once considered "picky readers", are gradually asserting their appeal to Vietnamese readers.

“ Readers’ tastes are increasingly deep, broad and open. We want to continue introducing quality works to contribute to expanding the range of enjoyment of picture book art,” said Ms. Dung.

Two famous wordless picture books by Suzy Lee - “Wave” and “Shadow”. Photo: Kim Dong Publishing House

Illustration in the picture book "The Wave". Photo: Kim Dong Publishing House

According to Ms. Kim Dung, wordless picture books offer countless perspectives and no single answer. Readers must flip, touch, turn, observe and imagine to create their own stories.

Previously, Kim Dong Publishing House also introduced many publications in the same genre such as "The Adventures of Polo the Dog", "Where is the Cake?", "The Secret in the Bag" or "The Flowers on the Roadside".

Born in Seoul (South Korea), graduated from Seoul National University and continued her master's degree at Camberwell College of Fine Arts (UK), Suzy Lee is a prominent name in the international picture book industry. Her works have been published and exhibited in many countries.

In 2022, she received the Hans Christian Andersen Medal - the world's most prestigious award for children's books. Previously, "The Wave" (2008) and "The Shadow" (2010) were both voted the best illustrated book of the year by the New York Times; "The Wave" alone received the Gold Medal from the Society of American Illustrators.

Source: https://congluan.vn/kham-pha-the-gioi-khong-loi-cua-suzy-lee-trong-buoi-tro-chuyen-nghe-thuat-dac-biet-10318010.html