What are the cultural differences between China and the West? You might be able to find the answer in Cao Siyu's comics (漫画).
Cao, 32, was born in Beijing, but left home at 20 and has studied and lived in the US, the UK, and France for 12 years. Having seen so many cultures, Cao wanted to use her drawing skills to show the differences she has experienced. So she created the cartoon series Tiny Eyes Comics.
"My experience shows that although travel is much easier and faster today, the distance (距离) between cultures hasn't shortened, " Cao said. She hopes to build bridges and breakdown misunderstandings between different cultures. One of her cartoons shows water forms indifferent countries. Three glasses of water are shown. The glass of water from the US has ice: the one from France is full of sparkling water (气泡水); the one from China is steaming (冒热气的).
Cao also uses her cartoons to show different ways of thinking and social customs. During the coVID-19 pandemic, she used her comics to explain why Chinese people prefer to wear masks while western people don't. "Her simple pictures have played a big part in reflecting Chinese culture," Italian magazine Grazia reported.
Many foreign readers say that Cao's comics help them understand China, while Chinese living abroad have felt that they are seen and understood.
She said that this voice has been the biggest motivation(动力) for her to keep creating.
