Acrylic and oil on canvas.

The special bond between humans and canines stretches back thousands of years and across the globe. In his picture book Dog, award-winning author and illustrator Shaun Tan explores this connection in 13 scenes that move through time, culture and landscape. Originally published in Tales from the Inner City (2018), Dog was released in 2020 as a standalone title.

This collection of sketches and final artworks was purchased by the Library in 2021. It documents Tan's process from initial concept sketches and storyboards, right through to the large-scale paintings that appear in the book.

As Tan writes in Dog, 'No matter what future meets our planet, no matter how transformed or tragic, even apocalyptic, it's hard to imagine that a dog will not be there by our side, always urging us forward.'