Joshua Chiang
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Joshua Chiang Sheue Liang (Chinese: 张嘉仁; pinyin: Zhāng Jiārén; born 11 November 1975) is a Singaporean illustrator, comic artist, and singer-songwriter based in Cambodia. His work includes visual art, comics, film, and music and has been featured in regional media in Cambodia and Singapore.[1][2] He is the writer and illustrator of the graphic novel The Five-Foot-Way Detective, and is the finalist for the 2026 Illustrator of The Year Award at the Singapore Children's Book Festival.[3]
Career
[edit]Chiang worked in film, animation, and illustration, contributing to children's animated series including Nanoboy, Zigby, and Robot ARPO.[1] He later co-directed the Singaporean film S11 (2006) with Gilbert Chan.[4] The film was screened at the Shanghai International Film Festival and received mixed critical reviews.[4]
Chiang was Acting Chief Editor for the socio-political website The Online Citizen from 1 December 2010[5] to 11 April 2011.[6]
Chiang relocated to Cambodia in 2013.[1] His subsequent work has focused on depictions of everyday life and social environments in Cambodia.[1]
Comics and publications
[edit]Chiang is the author of several graphic works, including Trackless Paths (2013), Ronin Rat and Ninja Cat (2019) and The Five-Foot-Way Detective (2024).
In his review of The Five-Foot-Way Detective for the Singapore-based SG Cartoon Resource Hub, CT Lim described the pacing of Ronin Rat and Ninja Cat as 'tight with character development along the way' and that Chiang has 'mastered the narrative flow of the comics medium'.[7] Lim also observed that The Five-Foot-Way Detective is done in the ligne-claire style of Tintin creator Hergé.
Similarly, Comics Sans, a comics podcast, described The Five-Foot-Way Detective as Chiang 'taking the tools of Hergé and applying it to his own storytelling style'. The review also noted that the visual setting is 'unashamedly Singaporean'.[8] The book appeared multiple times on The Straits Times weekly bestseller lists, including rankings in both fiction and children's categories in 2024 and 2025.[9][10]
He also illustrated the Chinese picture book series Tales of the Playground, written by Ang Aik Heng.[11] Two books in the series were finalists for the 2026 Illustrator of The Year Award at the Singapore Children's Book Festival.[3]
Chiang's work has also been featured in Singapore media including Mothership, which highlighted his comic work during the COVID-19 period.[12]
Art and exhibitions
[edit]Chiang is known for detailed, narrative-driven illustrations portraying scenes of daily life in Cambodia, which have been described as depicting aspects of Cambodian society and street life.[1][2]
He has developed a body of work referred to as "Pile Up", characterised by densely composed scenes featuring multiple simultaneous actions and figures.[2]
In 2026, he held an exhibition titled Makaras and Motodops, marking ten years of his work in Cambodia.[1][13][14]
Music
[edit]Chiang is also a singer-songwriter. His debut album, Everything Under the Sun (2022), was described as "charming" in coverage by The Phnom Penh Post.[15]
His music activities have been featured by Yahoo and the Cambodia-based music site LengPleng.[16][17][18]
Philanthropy
[edit]Chiang has engaged in charitable activities in Cambodia, including busking performances to raise funds for local organisations such as REACH Siem Reap.[1]
Filmography
[edit]- S11 (2006) – co-director
Discography
[edit]- Everything Under the Sun (2022)
- Don’t Count On Me to Save the World (2024)
- Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop (2025)
- All of Things I Know (Side A) (2025)
- The Psykic Elektric Experience (2025)
Bibliography
[edit]- Trackless Paths (2013). ISBN 978-9810747480.
- Ronin Rat and Ninja Cat (2019). ISBN 978-981-18-9549-4.
- The Five-Foot-Way Detective (2024). ISBN 978-981-18-9309-4.
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Singapore artist brings a decade of Cambodian stories to life". The Phnom Penh Post.
- 1 2 3 "'Pile Up' artist celebrates Cambodia's chaos and creativity". KiriPost.
- 1 2 "Illustrator Of The Year – Singapore Children's Book Festival". Retrieved 2026-08-07.
- 1 2 "S11 Review". MovieXclusive.
- ↑ "We are four". www.theonlinecitizen.com. Retrieved 2026-08-08.
- ↑ "Some changes at TOC". www.theonlinecitizen.com. Retrieved 2026-08-08.
- ↑ "Book Review: The Five-Foot-Way Detective". SG Cartoon Resource Hub.
- ↑ "Comics Sans Podcast S04E12: The Five-Foot-Way Detective — Flip-Flops on the Red Carpet". Comics Sans Podcast. 26/3/2026. Retrieved 8/8/2026.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=and|date=(help) - ↑ "The Straits Times weekly bestsellers: June 8". The Straits Times.
- ↑ "The Straits Times weekly bestsellers: May 17". The Straits Times.
- ↑ Chia, Elisa (18 May 2025). "Fun with kids: Tales of the Playground picture books". The Straits Times.
- ↑ "Comic on mask culture". Mothership.
- ↑ "Makaras and Motodops: Joshua Chiang's 10-year journey". Cambodge Mag.
- ↑ "Joshua Chiang exhibition coverage". Koh Santepheap Daily.
- ↑ "Calling or compulsion, debut album charms". The Phnom Penh Post.
- ↑ "Joshua Chiang – Everything Under the Sun". Yahoo News.
- ↑ "No apologies for everything". LengPleng.
- ↑ "Psykic Shock release". LengPleng.
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