This past Sunday, we continued with the ninth edition of the Summer Reading Club, a perfect way to close out the summer and get to know the creators and their books.
The Sunday reading session was divided into two parts: book sharing and a workshop. Our guest and workshop instructor was Chen Lin (mumucl), who participated in the UNFOLD Shanghai Art Book Fair in June this year. Her work is both spontaneous and colorful, and she enjoys depicting the inner world of girls.
As the title suggests, for this event, Chen Lin shared not only her own zines but also miniature books from her personal collection. Additionally, there was a fun workshop where participants had the opportunity to create rubber plate prints with cup patterns based on zine illustrations. It was indeed a delightful reading club event.
About the Artist
Chen Lin (mumucl)
Chen Lin is a freelance illustrator based in Shanghai. Her work has been featured in the World Illustration Awards (WIA) and the 3×3 International Illustration Competition, where she received the New Talent Winner and Merit Award distinctions, respectively. In her personal artwork, she has a special affinity for depicting various interesting behaviors and inner emotions of girls.
She has collaborated with a range of clients, including German newspaper Die Zeit, Honey Nut Cheerios, adidas Originals, Lacoste, Shiseido, Xiaohongshu, Starbucks, Condé Nast Traveler, VOGUE, BAZAAR, ELLE, COSMOPOLITAN, and various other brands and media outlets.
Chen Lin’s Book Sharing
14:00-15:00
Reading Miniature Books
Recalling Memories of Childhood Storybooks
Chen Lin: Thinking back to the storybooks I read as a child, I had limited reading skills and was quite young, so my most vivid memories were not just of the imagery but also the tactile sensation of holding the books. As I grew up, I started to collect miniature books and storybooks online and discovered some incredibly talented veteran artists who used to illustrate for miniature books and children’s literature. These seasoned artists possessed deep artistic skills and a profound understanding of traditional Chinese artistic styles. When I was a child, I might not have fully grasped the visuals, but now, looking back, it feels like I’ve uncovered a treasure trove.
Because the printing and binding technology of that time were relatively limited, these books often featured textures that you can’t find in contemporary books. This made me feel a strong sense of nostalgia. The visual presentation and the tactile sensation of holding these books have also consistently influenced many aspects of my preferences in life. I wonder if it has had a similar impact on you?
Sharing my own zine ⇣
<GIRL·STAR·MOON>
2 colors / 20 pages
When I was creating this series, my thoughts revolved around the idea of freedom and those serene moments that belong to girls, specifically, what I would describe as “after shedding tears.”
The girls in this little book are diverse in form, imperfect, but isn’t that exactly who we are? There’s no need to portray them as perfect. This is what the series is meant to be—free, unadorned, joyful, and sincere. Thinking along these lines, I decided to use the risograph printing method, which doesn’t always produce a “perfect” result, to create this booklet. I wanted to share my inner feelings with other girls.
<Paradise>
2 colors / 16 pages
“My Garden,
My Amusement Park,
My Jurassic Park.
Actually, my paradise is my sketchbook. In it, I can do whatever I want, have whatever I desire. I am incredibly free and comfortable inside.
I feel like the king of my paradise!”
This zine is a reproduction of some of my sketches. Every time I look at it, it feels like I’m admiring the map of my beautiful paradise, my world.
<emo>
2 colors / 16 pages
This zine was created one evening when I suddenly felt emotional, but I was able to confront those emotions. I even felt like I could step outside of myself and observe who I was beneath those emotions. So, why not write and draw to document it?
I completed it in just one evening. I didn’t overthink it, didn’t make revisions, and I didn’t even go back to look at it afterward because I felt that once the emotions were expressed, they were done.
<Just a Cup of Coffee>
This zine is all about Italian coffee, every step it goes through in the two to three minutes of preparation before it reaches your hands. In other words, every step here is crucial if you want a delicious cup of coffee. It’s a total of 43 pages. The part about coffee preparation in the text was organized by my two good friends, who are also the proprietors of the BRICK LANE coffee shop, Zhu Zhu and Fang Er. We discussed and revised it several times together.
I handled the design and illustrations. The illustrations inside are not related to coffee in any direct way because I thought that would be boring. I wanted to try a somewhat whimsical style that would complement the narrative of the text, something connected but not too closely.
More Photos
