Hong Kong Pavilion Makes Historic Debut at Comic Barcelona 2026

Publish date: 28 May 2026

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BARCELONA, Spain, May 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Organised by the Hong Kong Comics & Animation Federation (HKCAF) and lead sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSAR) , the Hong Kong Pavilion made its historic debut at Comic Barcelona 2026, marking the first official participation from Hong Kong in the festival's 44-year history. Located in Hall 8 – Booth 3 at Fira Barcelona Montjuïc, the Pavilion ran from May 15 to 17, 2026.

Five artists were invited to participate in person at Comic Barcelona 2026

25 Hong Kong Artists Under HKCSP — Five Attending In Person

The Hong Kong Pavilion showcased comic works from 25 Hong Kong artists under the Hong Kong Comics Support Programme (HKCSP). The Pavilion offered a comprehensive overview of the breadth and diversity of contemporary Hong Kong comics, bringing the vibrant storytelling traditions, artistic innovation, and dynamic independent comics scene of Hong Kong to Spanish audiences for the very first time.

Among these 25 artists, five were invited to participate in person at Comic Barcelona 2026, including Bonnie Pang, Kwong Chi Kit, Linus Liu, Pen So and Rex Koo, engaging directly with festival attendees through a rich program of interactive activities, including live drawing, art jamming, workshops and portrait drawing. These activities drew enthusiastic participation from Spanish and international audiences, fostering direct cultural exchange and providing an authentic, behind-the-scenes look at the creative energy of Hong Kong's comics community.

Pen So's See You in Memories — Spanish Edition Published by Planeta

In a significant milestone for Hong Kong comics in the Spanish-speaking world, Hong Kong artist Pen So's acclaimed work See You in Memories was published in Spanish by Planeta, one of Spain's leading publishing houses. During the festival, Pen So held the signing sessions at the publisher's booth, offering Spanish readers the opportunity to meet the artist behind this evocative work and have their copies signed.

A Strategic Cultural Bridge

The Hong Kong Pavilion represented a strategic cultural bridge between Hong Kong and Europe. By bringing 25 HKCSP artists' works to Barcelona, HKCAF successfully opened doors for publishing collaborations and long-term partnerships between Hong Kong creators and the European comics industry. The positive reception from festival attendees, publishers, and media underscores the growing international appeal of Hong Kong comics and paves the way for future engagements on the global stage.

About the Organizer, Sponsor and HKCSP

Hong Kong Comics & Animation Federation (HKCAF) is the organizer of the Hong Kong Pavilion. HKCAF was founded in 1999 and is dedicated to promoting the development of Hong Kong's comics and animation industries, fostering international exchanges, and creating platforms for local artists to reach global audiences. https://www.hkcaf.hk/

The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA), formerly known as Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) since 2009, was established in June 2024. CCIDA is a dedicated office under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) to provide one-stop services and support to the cultural and creative sectors with a mission to foster a conducive environment in Hong Kong to facilitate development of the arts, culture and creative sectors as industries. CCIDA's strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, promoting cross-sectoral and multi-disciplinary collaboration, promoting industrialisation of the arts, culture and creative sectors under the industry-oriented principle, and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community, thereby reinforcing Hong Kong as Asia's creative capital and our positioning as the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.

Hong Kong Comics Support Programme (HKCSP) since 2021, is a key initiative supporting the development of local comics talent, providing funding for creation and production, training, and international exposure opportunities for emerging and established Hong Kong artists. As of now, 63 original comics were launched with acclaimed achievements in licensing and awards winning. https://www.hkcsp.hk/

For more details about the Hong Kong Pavilion, please visit the website www.hkcomicspavilion.hk

The five on-site participating artists (in alphabetical order of the artist names):

Artist Name	Biography	Comics under HKCSP
Bonnie Pang	Bonnie Pang is an award-winning illustrator and comic artist from Hong Kong. She has a bachelor's degree in Geography at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and a master's degree in Fine Arts at the Academy of Arts University. She works with the artist agency Astound to illustrate children's books internationally. Bonnie enjoys creating silly and heartwarming stories, and her comics includes Roar Street Journal which was awarded 2015 Webtoon webcomic contest - 3rd place winner, IT Guy & Art Girl, Chronos Express which won several awards, including the Gold Award and Best Story Award at the 2nd HKCSP and Silver Award at the 17th Japan International MANGA Award. Her newest picture book My Unique Friend is licensed to publish in Belgium. Bonnie's dog and cat, named Milky and Ciri, are the inspirations of her recent creations.	*Chronos Express*
Kwong Chi Kit	A full-time comics artist. Born in Hong Kong, he received education in the United States in his early years. After graduation, he stayed in the United States to work in advertising and won numerous awards. After returning to Hong Kong in 2008, he devoted himself to teaching and taught at Shantou University, Savannah College of Art and Hong Kong Design Institute for ten years. In 2020, he officially entered the comic book industry and co-authored The Saga of Kunlun Mountain with Mark Tin Kit and Luk Wei Cheung, and this comic book was well received. His first personal work The Architect's Epiphany was selected for the 1st HKCSP and won the silver award and the best character design award. The science fiction work Indigo won the gold award at the 2nd HKCSP. Both of Kwong's award-winning works have been successfully licensed for French, English and Malay versions. Kwong is currently adapting Wang Yi's martial arts masterpiece The Lethal Weapon of Love and Passion into comic and has completed the first season. The highly anticipated 2nd season was officially released in March 2026.	*The Architect's Epiphany* *Indigo*
Linus Liu	A Hong Kong independent comics artist. His publications include Cat Mask Boy, illustration collection SHE Remembers, Timeless Encounter, Trio, and animated short film Cat Mask Boy's Summer Holiday. His comic Cat Mask Boy won the Gold Award at the 1st HKCSP in 2022. Cat Mask Boy has also licensed for overseas publications, including Ukrainian, French and English versions. His comic Trio received the Special Mention Award at the HKCSP, the Nomination of Top 10 Potential Comics & Animation & Award at the 22nd CACC Golden Dragon Award, and the Bronze award at the 19th Japan International MANGA Award in 2025.	*Cat Mask Boy* *Trio*
Pen So	Pen So is an illustrator and comics artist. In 2022, he published a comic book See You In Memories under the 1st HKCSP, winning the Silver Award at the 16th Japan International MANGA Award and the Bologna Ragazzi Awards 2024 in the New Horizons Category. In 2024, Dali Libreria received the Gold Award and the Best Comics Story Award in the 3rd HKCSP, Publishing Grand Award and the Best Illustrated Book Award at the 5th Hong Kong Publishing Biennial Awards, the Bronze award at the 19th Japan International MANGA Award, the Germany White Ravens 2025 and the Silver Award for Best Comics Book at the 21st China Animation & Comic Competition Golden Dragon Awards. His illustration Guiding Light was honoured with a Merit Award in the 3x3 International Illustration Show No.21 and a Bronze award at the Japan JIA Illustration Award. His works were exhibited in Belgium, Germany, Japan, Korea, France, and Italy.	*See You in Memories* *Dali Libreria*
Rex Koo	Rex Koo, a Hong Kong visual artist, whose works cover a diverse range of mediums, including graphic design, typography, illustration, and comics. Rex's creations are always inspired by pop culture, particularly films and music. He has published several illustration books featured in Hong Kong films. In 2020, he created his first graphic novel titled Strange Tales of the Walled City, which won a Bronze Award at the 14th Japan International MANGA Award. In 2025, Rex was selected for 4th HKCSP and published his second comic titled Nobody in Walled City, which story set a scene of Ice Age in Hong Kong. This comic was also awarded the Special Mention Award of Comic Category for Young Adult at the BolognaRagzzi Award 2026.	*Nobody In Walled City*