Shaun Tan is a beloved W.A artist who’s storytelling and artistic skills are truly inspiring. In his most recent book, Creature, Tan is reflecting on his work and processes as an artist and shares with the reader the thoughts behind some lesser known and rarely seen works. This individual context is something I really appreciate in art books. To gain a sense of the real Tan’s involvement in the worlds he creates leads the reader to experience his imagination much more personally.

Creature looks at Tan’s earliest childhood sketches, concept art, and masterful oil on canvas paintings. Often futuristic and at the least surreal, Tan takes you into his process and you really come to appreciate his work in a different light. This newest collection of Tan’s work is beautifully produced with large splash pages to allow the reader to fall into the creative and strange worlds that Tan has created over his career.