Children's book illustrator and author Chen Jiang Hong visits Seattle

The Alliance Française of Seattle is partnering with the French Consulate in San Francisco to present the author, painter and illustrator Chen Jiang Hong in Seattle on November 16th. He will be at the French American School of Puget Sound and the French Immersion School of Washington in the morning, followed by a presentation and book-signing for the public at Third Place Books in Ravenna at 7 p.m. The presentation will be followed by a reception.

Chen’s award-winning works have been translated into many languages and universally embraced. His art borrows from Asian traditional arts and culture while expressing deep solidarity with world cultures. Chen uses colored Chinese ink on rice paper to create gripping, poetic illustrations and affectionate portraits of unknown worlds. He combines classical Chinese drawing with modern, western visual language. Chen Jiang Hong was born in China in 1963 and grew up during the Cultural Revolution. He studied art in Beijing and Paris and has been living in the French capital as a freelance artist since 1987. Chen’s visual work has received great international acclaim: it was awarded the Prix Charles Oulmont (1992) and has been exhibited in galleries in Europe, Asia and America.
Chen Jiang Hong's children's books:
1994 "La légende du cerf-volant" (The legend of the kite)
2003 "Hatchiko, chien de Tokyo" (Hatchiko, a dog from Tokyo) was awarded the Prix Sorcières (2004).
2005 "Le cheval magique de Han Gan" (Han Gan and the Wonder Horse) was awarded the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis 2005 in the category Picture Book.
2009 "Mao et moi" (Mao and me) Selected for the 2009/2010 Great Lakes Great Books Award ballot for grades 6–8 
“It is important for me to bring the culture to which I am attached to life, to allow it to cross boundaries, and to allow others to be a part of it. I try to tell stories in such a way that they become universal"- Chen Jiang Hong
“In its excellence in representing political upheaval through the eyes of a child, this book belongs next to Peter Sís’s The Wall; in its directness, next to the work of Allen Say. The indefatigable energy of Chen’s brush, though, is all his own.” – Publishers Weekly
About Alliance Française of Seattle
The Alliance Française of Seattle was founded in 1987 and is a chapter of the Alliance Française network, the largest network of French language and cultural centers in the world. The Alliance Française de Seattle promotes the French language, increase awareness of French and francophone cultures, and fosters friendly relations between francophones and others in the Puget Sound Area. www.afseattle.org

About the Cultural Service of the French Consulate in San Francisco
The Cultural Service promotes and supports French artists and companies, art presenters, and academic institutions. Its programs are funded largely through the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cultures France (French Council for the Arts), the Ministry of Culture and Communication, and French and American private partners through the Foundation FACE (French American Cultural Exchange). The Cultural Service acts as a liaison between the French and American art scenes. www.consulfrance-sanfrancisco.org
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If you would like more information about this event or to schedule an interview with the author, please call Jessica Wilhide, Cultural Events & Marketing Coordinator at 612-508-8055 or email at events@afseattle.org