An exhibition dedicated to manga — one of the greatest cultural exports to come out of Japan — will be on display at The British Museum from September.
Manga Now: Three Generations will feature newly-commissioned work by three artists at the top of their game. The Japanese certainly don’t shirk when it comes to the graphic art form, so expect a high level of detail and craft from the three never-before seen artworks created by Chiba Tetsuya, Hoshino Yukinobu and Nakamura Hikaru. Traditionally trained artist Yukinobu has created his image using only shades of black ink — choosing to draw by hand and colour in by computer — both with gruelling precision (see above).
Manga has been blending compelling storytelling with traditional Japanese artistic practices since the early 1900s and there's also a rare opportunity to see early artwork, contrast with the new offerings, and see how it has developed for a contemporary audience.
Don’t all rush at once: the exhibition takes place in the intimacy of room three of The British Museum. However, if you're a die-hard manga fan there's plenty of opportunity to explore further, as The British Museum is hosting a programme of events to accompany the exhibition, including a talk on manga in world culture with author Helen McCarthy, and a drawing workshop with illustrator Hugo Yoshikawa. Keep an eye on the website for more details.
Manga Now: Three Generations is on in Room three of The British Museum from 3 September-15 November. Entrance is free.
