Taiwan illustrator Chen Pei-hsiu and comic artist Ding Pao-yen shone at the 2025 MoCCA Arts Festival March 15-16 in New York City, the Ministry of Culture said.
Chen is known for her detailed illustrations, with a warm and layered painting style popular with U.S. audiences, the MOC said. She was twice nominated for the Prize for Young Talent at the Angoulême International Comics Festival, the ministry added.
Ding is famous for delicate brushwork and blending video games and sci-fi elements in his work, the MOC noted. In 2023, he was selected as one of ten featured artists in the “Worldwide Comics Explosion” program at the Angoulême festival, the ministry said, adding that the English-translation of his collection “Not Ready for Life” was sold out on the first day of the festival when published in the U.S.
According to the MOC, the Taipei Cultural Center in New York has collaborated with the festival to showcase contemporary Taiwan comics since 2017. A caricature drawing event was hosted for this year’s edition, it said, adding that both artists have engaged closely with U.S. comics enthusiasts during the event.
The MOC added that the MoCCA Arts Festival provides an opportunity for Taiwan comic artists to promote their work on an international platform while strengthening links with artists, readers and publishers in the U.S. The ministry will continue to introduce more Taiwan artists to global audiences to advance visibility of Taiwan’s manga culture, it said.
Organized by the New York-based Society of Illustrators, the MoCCA Arts Festival is a two-day multimedia event and also New York City’s largest independent comics and cartoon festival. It attracts more than 9,000 visitors each year. (YCH-E)
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