Optometry - Xiang Yata

Optometry by Xiang Yata / ISBN 9781949065244 / 250-page paperback, 5.83 x 8.27 inches, published by Driftwood Press

Highly recommended!

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In Xiang Yata's Optometry, a woman’s visit to the optometrist catapults her through a multi-medium journey in this kaleidoscopic, experimental full-color comic.

"With a remarkable depth of style, Xiang Yata collapses the distinction between the observer and the observed, creating an imaginative world of infinite possibility. Optometry is a celebration of visual storytelling, reminding the reader that when you lose your form all possible forms reveal themselves." —Jesse Jacobs, author of Honeymoon Safari

"Ocularly rich, minimal, and hypnotic, Xiang Yata’s Optometry has comic symmetry of verdant beauty and field of perspective and depth. It’s super scrollable and page-turnable. It is a hyper magnetic optical world that make you feel seen in unexpected and viridescent ways. What a lush creature, this book!" — Vi Khi Nao, author of Fish in Exile

“A spiritual journey of enlightenment, written without words. A glimpse through other dimensions of universe, presented by colors and shapes. An unconscious experience triggered by optometry, and back to real world like waking up from a dream. The beauty of chaos can't be expressed by words. Will be a little pity if anyone missed the wonderful world inside this book." — Wang XX, cartoonist behind Seal Comics & Think I’ve Still Got It!

Born in Changde, Hunan, China, a small city in the inland area, Xiang Yata (象牙塔) learned to draw by watching cartoons as a child. At Guangzhou, a well-developed coastal city, Yata attended Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts for high school, where she spent most of her time in the academy’s library, reading, looking, and learning about art nonstop. Although initially inspired by manga, she branched into other countries and mediums, embracing a diverse collection of experimental approaches. Shortly after, Yata pursued her art by attending Beijing Film Academy for animation and film, and now she’s been working as an animator for the past decade. Yata's work stands out for its outstanding attention to detail and experimental use of media; it often showcases patience, finely-tuned storytelling, and breathtaking pencil work. Her previous work, Captivity, was published by Paradise Systems, and her work was featured in Bubbles Magazine. Other short releases include The Ruby Mystery, Red and Green Girl, and The Explosive World.