The color catalog of the International Cartoon Festival in Saitama 2023, Japan

Received yesterday the color catalog of the International Cartoon Festival in Saitama 2023, Japan. It was the 33rd year of the festival that adopted the theme of "WATASHITACHI" (meaning "We") in conjunction with the Saitama Triennale 2023. The Triennale takes the stage in Saitama, an urban center known for its liveability. 

And why "We"? What do you include in your definition of 'we'? 

Some find a 'we' in the smallest of communities and between family, friends, countrymen, and peoples of the Earth; however, could a 'we' not also exist between us and the myriad animals, flowers, trees, and inorganic objects that surround us? 

In a time in which we coexist with issues like climate change, social inequality, and war, is it even possible to step outside ourselves and obtain a clearer grasp of our world? This year's theme was chosen in the hopes of providing an opportunity for 'us' to reexamine our conception of 'we' (p. 02). 

I participated in the event with two cartoons of mine, one titled "Family reunion" on the theme of "We" and the second one of Free theme. Works on both themes by 37 Japanese and 45 foreign artists are included in the catalog of the exhibition that took place at Plaza North in November 2023. 

Saitama City is the place where Rakuten Kitazawa - the father of modern cartoon in Japan - spent his later years. The Saitama Municipal Cartoon Art Musem in the home to Kitazawa in his later years hold the Saitama-City Rakuten-Kitazawa Manga Awards competition each year. In 2023 they held the 38th edition and the winning cartoons are included in this collection book of "The Best Cartoons of Nippon" which are also displayed on the museum website here. 

The standard A4-sized (21x29.7 cm) catalog of "The Best Cartoons of Nippon 2023" has over 70 pages covering the color and the monochrome cartoons participated in the festival and selected for the catalog. Plus 28 pages included for the lists of the Japanese and the Foreign artists with their personal histories in both English and Japanese. With the help of this perfectly designed book of art, it is possible to compare the style and wit of the native and overseas manga/cartoon artists and enjoy the great humour in their works.
From Turkey are published the works of the following cartoonists in the catalog: Aşkın Ayrancıoğlu, Behiç Yalçın Ayrancıoğlu, Engin Selçuk, Erdoğan Başol, Halit Kurtulmuş, Hüsnü Berkalp Üstün, Kamil Yavuz, Kemal Özyurt, Muammer Kotbaş, Musa Gümüş, Seyit Saatçi, and Hüseyin Çakmak from Cyprus.

Thank you to the festival organizers and the staff of Plaza North who sent me this great collection of manga/cartoon art.