Nial O’Connor (a.k.a. Zeldz Magnoonis) left Australia four years ago to take his comic to the world. He started his career in Australian underground comics of the late 90’s and worked in Australia and France before coming to Shanghai in 2006.  His signature flowing visual style betrays influences from Celtic, Secessionist, Psychedelic, Graffiti and cartoon art. He is currently working on commission projects and for a commercial advertising company in Shanghai.

 “Shanghai can be a visually overwhelming city. Drawing it forces me to slowdown and delight in the richness of its details magazines at a newsstand, a traffic wardens, tea flask, duct tape around a rusty drain pipe, etc. After observing such elements, I am free to stylize, reconfigure, omit and accentuate them as I rebuild my own scene.

The aim of this series is to give the viewer something intimately familiar, and yet the impression of seeing it for the first time. It’s Shanghai through the lens of a pencil."

Nial O’Connor (a.k.a. Zeldz Magnoonis) left Australia four years ago to take his comic to the world. He started his career in Australian underground comics of the late 90’s and worked in Australia and France before coming to Shanghai in 2006.  His signature flowing visual style betrays influences from Celtic, Secessionist, Psychedelic, Graffiti and cartoon art. He is currently working on commission projects and for a commercial advertising company in Shanghai.

“Shanghai can be a visually overwhelming city. Drawing it forces me to slowdown and delight in the richness of its details - magazines at a newsstand, a traffic wardens, tea flask, duct tape around a rusty drain pipe, etc. After observing such elements, I am free to stylize, reconfigure, omit and accentuate them as I rebuild my own scene.

The aim of this series is to give the viewer something intimately familiar, and yet the impression of seeing it for the first time. It’s Shanghai through the lens of a pencil.