Li Chin-lun charms the city with her Joyful gallery／李瑾倫、毛孩子和城市的繽紛空間
Li Chin-lun charms the city with her Joyful gallery
◎English translation: Lin Fang-ju
Li Chin-lun is the author and illustrator of picture books which feature her beloved furry friends (cats and dogs). Her use of simple strokes is symbolic of the sincere friendship that exists between humans and their four-legged friends. The books have been so successful that Li has opened a store called "Chinlun's Things" and established a namesake product range "Chinlun". She has since opened a store named "Bandon" at Pier-2 Art Center. Li Chin-lun has been an illustrator for a long time. In 1992, she won first place for her original picture book Piggy Who Swallowed Seeds, at the Hsin-Yi Foundation: Children's Literature competition. Li's other picture books have also gained huge popularity. In 1997, she decided to enhance her skills and broaden her horizons, so she went to the UK to study illustration. Her books have since been translated into many languages including Japanese, Korean, English, German and Dutch.
Chinlun's Things Store and her product range were established in 2010 and feature her illustrations. She has brought a new artistic perspective to Kaohsiung. Chinlun's products quickly gained success because they are unique, practical and well-made. Chin-lun wants to continue to integrate designs of her furry friends into her products. She wants to convey her philosophy of treating animals kindly and more humanely. She also wants to teach people about animal protection and hopes Chinlun's things store will become a foundation for helping animals in need.
Li Chin-lun treats her own dogs and cats like her kids. When she comes in Chinlun's Things Store, the furry friends always sit around her, but she is never disturbed by them. Chin-lun often observes how pets behave and how others interact with them. Her love for her dogs and cats are reflected in her work and products. Although the pets can't communicate with language, Chin-lun writes and illustrates her feelings through her stories.
In 2013, Li Chin-lun opened Bandon Grocery Store at Pier-2 Art Center and it too has become a great success. She refers to it as a "grocery store for young artists". Li is also using it as a powerful platform to share her philosophy that images should be enjoyed by everyone and that art should not be pretentious or intimidating. She also sells watermelon juice and ice cream in order to create a relaxing atmosphere that can be enjoyed by everyone. She hopes Bandon Grocery Store will become a place where her value of "art for everyone" can be realized, in an art gallery full of colorful pictures.
Li Chin-lun's stores have something for everyone. She believes the more beauty people appreciate in their lives, the broader their horizons will become. Now Bandon Grocery Store has become a highlight in Kaohsiung, Li Chin-lun can once again fully devote herself to creating new books. She plans to continue producing colorful illustrations and creating more stories about the touching relationship people and animals.
李瑾倫、毛孩子和城市的繽紛空間
◎文／侯雅婷
李瑾倫的繪本總可見她最鍾愛的「毛小孩」(狗和貓)，運用簡單線條和筆觸，勾勒出牠們與人之間誠摯細膩的情感。她不僅為粉絲成立「撥撥橘工作室」，並成立「Chinlun」品牌，還在駁二藝術特區開設「本東倉庫」商店，以插畫創造力為底蘊，自創品牌到經營商店，一起來暸解李瑾倫的插畫作品和她獻給這座城市的美麗新觀點。
李瑾倫耕耘插畫領域已久，自1992年首次出版繪本「子兒，吐吐」，即獲得信誼幼兒文學首獎。接續出版的繪本也受到關注和好評，但她思索創作是條長遠的路，於是1997年赴笈英國主修插畫，探尋創作深度、廣度和邊界，迄今繪本發行日、韓、英、德、荷等語言。當李瑾倫坐在「撥撥橘工作室」一隅，幾隻「毛小孩」不請自來，繞著她腳邊各據山頭，卻不打擾人。李瑾倫表示，貓、狗如她的小孩一般，稱他們為「毛小孩」，她學著從毛小孩的角度去觀察人，她說雖然從牠們的眼睛感受到情緒，但無法以言語和動物溝通，於是她把感觸都畫下來。她強調，創作不能無中生有，因此她很自然真誠地在作品和商品，反映她關注的事情，也就是她的毛孩子們。
撥撥橘工作室和Chinlun品牌皆成立於2010年，工作室是為喜愛繪本的粉絲成立，她期盼工作室成為一處動物基地，而她透過Chinlun品牌傳遞對人生的訊息和信念。由於Chinlun商品兼具獨特性、實用性且重品質，迅速在市場上打響名號。她思考著能為毛孩子做些什麼？因此她希望企盼用自己的方式，比如將好看的圖像發展成明信片之類的產品，讓更多人可以使用到好看的圖像，發揮影響力傳達愛護動物的理念，讓人們更友善地對待動物。
有了品牌，2013年李瑾倫於駁二藝術特區開設「本東倉庫」，她打趣地比擬它為「文青的小北百貨」。在經營商店後，李瑾倫發現，商店能傳達一種價值觀，因而成為一處具有影響力的平台，她期待本東能成為在高雄一間有許多圖像可供選擇的商店，於是陳列色彩繽紛、琳瑯滿目的商品。她認為文創不該是刻意的，所以本東也販售西瓜汁和霜淇淋等，只因相信生活不該設限，歡迎每個人造訪。進到本東裏的顧客，會不自覺面露微笑，停佇在引發他們好奇的商品前，李瑾倫相信只要多看漂亮的東西，眼界自然會變寬廣，這間視覺上讓人愉快的空間，已成為城市亮點。
本東倉庫上軌道後，李瑾倫笑說該是時候繼續專注創作了，她將繼續用好看的圖，餵飽大家的心靈，也帶給大家更多毛孩子們的動人故事。