Eventually both the man’s suitcase and body are searched. He waits in a lengthy line before entering the city gates, meanwhile noticing that the signs around him are all written in a language he cannot understand. The ship eventually reaches a new country, where the man is to make his home. The man travels on a ship across the sea, alongside hundreds of other refugees. He then shares a heartfelt goodbye with both his wife and daughter, and boards the train alone. The daughter gazes upwards with a look of concern, so the man makes her an origami bird to console her. In the background, large spiked tentacles loom over the city. The man exits his home alongside his wife and daughter, and the three walk towards a train station. In the opening of the novel, the readers are presented a nameless man living in a nameless country, which appears to be set in modern time. Tan’s graphics reflect a realistic art style, and are set in tones of brown, sepia, and gold, black, and grey.

The novel’s plot is defined entirely through visuals, as the narrative is wordless.

Tan's admirers include fellow artist/illustrators Art Spiegelman, Neil Gaiman and Marjane Satrapi.The following version of this book was used to create this guide: Tan, Shaun.

Over the course of 25 years, Tan has received numerous honors including an Academy Award for the short film The Lost Thing, based on his book of the same name, a Best Books for Young Adults from the American Library Association for his 2008 graphic novel The Arrival and two Hugo Awards for Best Professional Artist. 'As an artist, I'm interested in what you do when you encounter something that's really, really strange and unfamiliar,' he tells NPR, 'whether it's with fear or evasion or curiosity and maybe even love is really quite telling.' Whimsical, cerebral, socially aware, grotesque and cuddly, Tan's artistic universe runs the emotional gamut.Ĭreature: Paintings, Drawings, and Reflections is a comprehensive collection of Tan's artwork from the last 25 years as well as essays by Tan about his creative practice and lifelong fascination with creatures. The book also includes essays by the artist.Īrtist and author Shaun Tan creates semi-mechanical and animalesque beings that seem born of both the natural world and industrious humans. Creature: Paintings, Drawings, and Reflections is a new collection of images from artist and writer Shaun Tan's best-known works as well as more than 100 illustrations that have never been seen before.

The arrival tan shaun