Jade Khoo

Born in 1998, Jade Khoo is an author and illustrator whose work weaves close ties between animation and comics. A 2020 graduate of the Gobelins school, she initially practiced her talents as a layout and storyboard artist before turning to graphic storytelling. Her first graphic novel, Zoc (Dargaud, 2022), a coming-of-age fantasy with strong ecological themes, captured hearts with its fine lines and pastel palettes, earning her the Cabaret Vert prize in 2023.

Her universe, often compared to that of Hayao Miyazaki for its poetic approach to nature, is enriched by a lifelong passion for ornithology. In her second work, Terre ou lune (Morgen, 2026), she moved away from digital tools in favor of watercolor and felt-tip pen, delicately exploring themes of family and environmental preservation. Inspired by the Chinese artist Zao Dao, Jade Khoo develops a visual language where the contemplation of vast natural spaces meets fluid and immersive storytelling. Between Solarpunk science fiction and naturalist observation, she has emerged as a rising figure in committed and sensory comics.

For her residency at Rocabella, Jade Khoo joins the collective project 'Future Archaeologies.' She envisions exploring the estate not merely as a backdrop, but as an ecosystem where neo-classical architecture becomes the perch for a reinvented biodiversity. Using watercolor and felt-tip pens, she intends to document the Mediterranean coastline through a Solarpunk lens, where low-tech solutions yield to the splendor of life.

Jade's project focuses on creating a futuristic bestiary and narrative plates set within the estate. Drawing on her ornithological background, she imagines the return of migratory bird species to a Rocabella transformed into an ecological sanctuary. Her drawings will capture the vibrant light of the Riviera to illustrate a utopia where humans and animals coexist within the ruins of a luxury that has become organic. Through this immersion, Jade Khoo aspires to create a poetic visual archive, witnessing nature's resilience against time and celebrating the rediscovered serenity of a protected coastal landscape.