At this year’s 9th iSTART Children’s Art Festival, A4 Art Museum once again brought to life its special project, “iA, Please Answer.” The program gently and thoughtfully builds a bridge between children and artists — a space where artists, writers, and educators respond to children’s works through “meta-language,” not by judging, but by creating new works in resonance.
This year, artist Tan Xiaozheng joined the project through his beloved characters Black Rabbit and Pink Pig, using them to start a heartfelt dialogue with a seven-year-old girl named Wan Jinwen.
Jinwen’s drawing captures a tender yet brave moment — the scene of herself getting a shot from a nurse. Through her simple, sincere lines, we see both the fear of pain and the quiet courage to face it.
In response, Tan created a piece that looks intentionally clumsy but feels full of honesty and imagination. Using Black Rabbit and Pink Pig, he turned that small moment of tension and hope into a vision of friendship and dreams. The two characters lean on each other, facing the tiny, real pains of life together. His artwork doesn’t just reply to the child’s feelings — it expands them into a reflection on companionship, growth, and gentle courage.
“A child’s drawing is the purest spark of artistic creation. When we respond, it’s not about adults teaching children — it’s about two souls resonating.”
— Tan Xiaozheng
Every piece created in “iA, Please Answer” feels like a tender letter written in return. Here, artists set aside formal technique and return to the roots of creation — the authenticity and imagination that come from a child’s heart.
Through this project, A4 Art Museum hopes to bring art back to its truest state: a shared moment of empathy and understanding. In this exchange, children’s drawings become more than just “artworks” — they become starting points for artists to rediscover the world with fresh eyes.
