Artwork for Kangkangee Arts Village by Mark Stafford

Cover for 'Kangkangee Blues,' a largely silent twenty-two page bittersweet love story I created for The KangKangee Arts Village in the Yeongdo area of Busan in South Korea under the aegis of the British Council/Arts council Korea.

It was printed by the Arts village in a book detailing the cultural and social history of the area, as part of a wider project involving kinetic sculptures, music, murals and installations made by collaborating Korean and international artists in an effort to raise the profile of the area and awareness of the part it has played in Busan's colourful history.

Ink on Bristol board, digitally coloured, the cover depicts the goddess of Yeongdo island, or at least how she exists in my imagination, watching over her realm. Life in the area is hard for most, so I saw her as a tough old girl, hair in rollers, cigarette in mouth and a bottle on the go.

The story will be reprinted in an english edition.