“Drawing is my livelihood; nature my refuge, culture and history my addiction, and spirituality a way to make sense of it all.” – Joshua Chiang
A tusked elephant in billowing saffron robes dances lightly atop blades of emerald-green grass, small raccoon-like pilgrim trailing doggedly in its wake. Floating on a white page behind these watercolour animal characters are the musings of Buddha himself: “The path of the enlightened one leaves no track – it is like the path of birds in the sky.”
Joshua Chiang, a self-taught illustrator/scriptwriter from Singapore “who happens to also love the Great Outdoors and finding out about our true purpose in life”, has chosen an unusual vessel for elements of existentialism. In his new book, Trackless Paths, the author – who ‘sold’ the only copy of his first hand-drawn comic The Adventures of Hercules and Odysseus to his mother for a meal at the age of nine – pairs a menagerie of cartoon critters with notable quotes from sages and literary figures, polishing the exercise off by offering up his own reflections on each.
Nota bene: if you’re the sort who breaks out in boils when confronted by Buddha Botherers and Jesus Freaks, fear not. Preaching isn’t the point here. The intention, says Chiang, is to impart words of wisdom which, hey, even the Hell-bound and Godless among us might find comfort in. “The sayings which inspired the illustrations in this book come from a diverse range of spiritual (and the occasional non-spiritual) sources from different cultures and time periods, covering themes from love to courage to coping with grief, and are chosen for their ability to inspire, heal and challenge. The diversity is intentional; Wisdom and Truth are not confined to any creed or denomination and there is always beauty in every spiritual tradition. It is this universal beauty that I hope to share.”
The 84-page book contains 36 illustrations hand-drawn in pencil and then painted over with digital watercolour brushes. Every illustration is accompanied by the quote which inspired it, juxtaposed with Chiang’s notes and reflections. In one, a pair of grinning dogs dressed in woolly jumpers bound across a lawn, tugging behind them colourful balloons on string. Between the balloons nestle the words of martyred Beatle John Lennon: “Time you enjoy wasting was not wasted.” On the facing page, in discrete text, Chiang offers the following thoughts: “One of the hardest things for us to do as adults is to completely forget ourselves and surrender to the moment. For this piece, I wanted to express that feeling of uninhibited exuberance and genuine enjoyment, and at the same time convey that child-like innocence found in Lennon’s drawings.”
Trackless Paths is available now at Monument Books for $15.