Illustrator and Animal-lover, Lee Chin-lun／藝術作為愛的擴音器─李瑾倫
Illustrator and Animal-lover, Lee Chin-lun
◎English translation: Hou Ya-ting ◎Photos by Yeh Yu-ci
Prestigious author-illustrator, Ms. Lee Chin-lun, admits that she often didn't concentrate when she was a student and was addicted to daydreaming in class. Her mind was always wondering and never on her school work. After she graduated, she worked in Taiwan for a while, but then quit her job and went to learn Japanese in Japan.
In 1990, she held her first illustration exhibition in Tokyo. This was her first step in realizing her goal of becoming an illustrator. Her illustrations were published in a Taiwanese children's book called, Spit the Seeds, which earned a Children's Literature Award from Taiwan's Hsin-Yi Foundation. In 1997, Ms. Lee attended a Royal College of Art, graduate program in London. During that time she published several books, one of which was about her experiences studying in Britain called, The Light from a Window Seat.
Ms. Lee is a true animal lover, which is evidenced through her illustrations. This can be seen in her books, The Very Kind Rich Lady and Her One Hundred Dogs and Good Dog, Paw which were published while she was studying in England. Ms. Lee also worked as a volunteer at an animal hospital in Taiwan. This became the inspiration for her book, Animal Hospital No. 39. She also published a book without illustrations called, No End to Love, which was reminiscent of her pets that have since passed away.
She has now returned to Taiwan and launched her own brand called "Chinlun". This came about after she went to show her illustrations and read her books to children in Hualien and Taitung Counties. She decided to create writing mats that the children could make into practical and memorable gifts. The writing mats have been designed with her various characters that are in her illustrations. She has now added other products to her brand, such as postcards, notebooks and stationary.
Her store, Bandon Grocery Store at Pier-2 Art Center, is named after her dog. It sells a wide range of items, including her illustrations, her brand's products and other goods that have been created both locally and internationally. Visitors can also order beverages at the shop while sitting down to write postcards. Ms. Lee collects donations to assist animals, while she also donates a portion of her income to assist animal rescue and stray adoption programs.
Ms. Lee says Bandon Grocery Store provides a pet rescue and stray adoption program. She explains that one night some kittens tried to sneak into the shop after it had closed. Now, she leaves out cat food and water for strays. She hopes that stray animals will always find her shops a safe haven. She has also established Huei Huei Animal Friendly Association, Kaohsiung, which she hopes will promote greater social awareness and sympathy toward animals. She is currently developing a cargo container building that is designed to assist in animal rehabilitation, animal psychological counseling and an exhibition space. Through this, she wants to educate that, "people that are to blame for animal problems and not the animal themselves".
Ms. Lee's illustrations have transformed animals into humorous characters, through which she spreads awareness; she hopes that more people will become animal lovers. Furthermore, Ms. Lee has also been able to develop a shelter for Kaohsiung's stray animals. Ms. Lee's sympathy and respect for pets are certainly commendable and exemplified through her illustrations.
藝術作為愛的擴音器─李瑾倫
◎文、攝影／葉郁琪
求學期的李瑾倫常無法專心課業，「腦中常不受控制想很多課本外的事，想東想西似乎是一種無法克制的癮。」。後來辭掉工作到日本尋找「繪本夢」，小時候常掛在嘴邊的「我要畫故事書」逐漸成形。她在日本出版第一本兒童繪本《賣梨人與不可以思議的旅人》，之後陸續在台灣出版曾獲信誼幼兒文學獎的《子兒，吐吐》等作品，1997年就讀英國皇家藝術學院，出版《一位溫柔善良有錢的太太和她的100隻狗》、《好乖的Paw》等多本英語童書。學成歸國後，她將在動物醫院幫忙的見聞改編成《動物醫院39號》及對離世毛小孩的思念《愛不終止》。另外也創作文字書《靠窗的位子，光線剛好》，記錄隻身前往英國求學的心路歷程。
談到成立自己的品牌，李瑾倫表示要從應邀到花東為小朋友朗讀自己的繪本開始，她原想給孩子一些小禮物，如果故事中的角色走出書本，留在孩子的生活中一定很棒，於是著手設計實用的墊板，後來試著設計明信片、筆記本等，催生出品牌「Chinlun」。
落腳高雄的李瑾倫，她開的店以自己養過的動物家人為名，不只販售自己的著作與Chinlun商品，還有許多獨特的創意小物、飲品餐點，以及國內、外其他創作者的作品。從小特別喜歡動物的她，參與動物救助已有很長時間，除運用自己擅長的畫筆，以藝術創作傳達信念，還將大部分收益用於救助與認養流浪動物，撥撥橘商店也提供動物認養，位於駁二藝術特區的本東倉庫商店更是街貓庇護所。一開始無意中發現商店打烊後，幾隻小貓總會自己找路溜進來，就提供食物與乾淨飲水，「只是想要讓牠們知道這是一個安全的地方。」
「很多問題是人類造成，不是動物。」，李瑾倫成立灰灰友善動物協會，藉辦理課程與演講等活動，去「教育」人類，教導動物知識，培養對動物的同理心。「無尾香蕉動物大學」則是準備中的計畫，將以貨櫃建築作為動物復健及心理諮商診所，也有展覽空間，以藝術溫柔地撫慰動物與人類。李瑾倫結合自己熱愛的繪畫與動物，雖然改變現實有限，也要用盡全力，在高雄為動物撐起溫暖的屋簷。