Award-winning illustrator Shaun Tan views his artistic practice as a way to pause and examine the world. Rather than relying on innate talent, Tan emphasizes the importance of sustained interest, grit, and repetition to develop one's craft. He often seeks to create work that feels slightly unresolved or unsettling, believing that pieces which are too perfectly finished lack a lasting impact on the viewer. When developing his illustrations, he sometimes tests his progress by observing the emotional reactions of others. For Tan, drawing landscapes and scenes is a method to better understand his environment and peer behind the familiar surface of reality. He views his creative space as a gateway to other worlds, regardless of its physical appearance. How do you incorporate elements of the unknown or unresolved into your own creative projects? Source: the Guardian, "Shaun Tan: ‘We’re always only seeing a thin skin of reality’" (2026-10-02) —…
