China #3

The cover of this third volume in Li Kunwu and P. Ôtié's China series — subtitled De tijd van het geld ("The Age of Money") — says a great deal with quiet economy: a lone figure seated on a small stool, brush or pen in hand, paints or sketches before a weathered brick wall, while behind it a skyline of traditional tiled rooftops gives way to looming modern tower blocks. That visual tension between old and new China, rendered in spare ink with just a breath of green and red, perfectly frames what this collaboration between a Chinese artist and a French writer has always done so thoughtfully. For readers drawn to graphic storytelling that observes a culture with genuine curiosity and craft, this 2013 volume is a compelling continuation of the series.