First exhibition in the Americas to explore manga as an art form, features artists Akatsuka Fujio, Araki Hirohiko, Chiba Tetsuya, Oda Eiichiro, Tagame Gengoroh, Takahashi Rumiko, Tanaami Keiichi, Taniguchi Jiro, Yamashita Kazumi, Yamazaki Mari, and Yoshinaga Fumi
Rare opportunity to experience original drawings by some of the world's most influential manga artists, a number of which have never been on public view before
de Young museum
September 27, 2025 - January 25, 2026
For media images, contact press@famsf.org
SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESS Newswire / January 29, 2025 / The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (the "Fine Arts Museums") are pleased to announce the exhibition Art of Manga. The presentation will spotlight manga, a genre of innovative Japanese comics and graphic novels characterized by evocatively drawn artwork. Through more than 700 drawings by influential manga artists, Art of Manga will enable visitors to gain an understanding of its creative and immersive power and the social impact of manga in the world today. Visitors will become fluent in reading manga after viewing the exhibition. Holding an extensive historical Japanese prints collection, the Fine Arts Museums are the first North American museum to highlight the contemporary Japanese art form which traces its roots back to Japanese painting forms, 18th- and 19th-century woodblock prints and Western comics and satire.
"Captivating millions around the world with dynamic graphic narratives, manga is one of the most significant visual mediums of our time," said Thomas P. Campbell, Director and CEO of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. "San Francisco has long been a gateway for Japanese cultural exchange in the United States, and we are delighted to honor this legacy by showcasing the artistry and power of contemporary Japanese narrative art in Art of Manga."
The exhibition begins with an introduction to manga, with works from early-generation manga artists Chiba Tetsuya (b. 1939) and Akatsuka Fujio (1935-2008). This section places manga in historical context, providing viewers with insights into what manga is, how it is read, and how it is created and consumed. Individual sections are dedicated to the work of artists Araki Hirohiko, Oda Eiichiro, Tagame Gengoroh, Takahashi Rumiko, Taniguchi Jiro, Yamashita Kazumi, Yamazaki Mari, and Yoshinaga Fumi. Through the works of these artists, visitors will embark on a journey exploring manga artistic styles, genres, editorial and production processes, manga and identity, digital manga with an in-depth look at Kodansha's digital service K MANGA, rights, piracy, and fandom. Art of Manga concludes with a presentation of the publishing company Shueisha's innovative Shueisha Manga-Art Heritage (SMAH) initiative. Blurring the boundaries between manga and fine art, SMAH examines new ways to enjoy and acquire manga art, such as limited-edition print runs created from genga (original drawings) that are linked to the blockchain in the form of nonfungible tokens (NFTs). The section ends with a novel and colorful collaboration between the mangaka Akatsuka Fujio and the artist Tanaami Keiichi.
"We are living in a time when the narrative shift from text to images is increasingly becoming a reality. By prioritizing images and line over text in its storytelling, manga cultivates an ease of visceral understanding that enables readership from around the world to enjoy the same stories," remarked organizing curator Nicole Coolidge Rousmaniere, Research Director of the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures, University of East Anglia. "Readers become invested in characters and their stories, and manga publishers and artists take their letters and social media comments into account and adapt the ongoing story or create new manga, which often then becomes a forerunner to greater cultural shifts."
Art of Manga will be on view at the de Young museum from September 27, 2025 to January 25, 2026.
About Manga
A type of image-driven narrative storytelling in Japan, the Japanese word manga originated in the later 18th century andliterally translates as "pictures run riot." Modern manga appears to have originated in two phases, the first in the 1890s through 1920s, when Western printing methods, satire and cartooning were coupled with Japanese traditional narrative formats such as kamishibai (street theater) and woodblock prints as well as printed illustrated novels. The second phase was in the immediate post-WWII era with the American occupation and the introduction of American culture, television, and films particularly Disney. Sazae-san (Ms Sazae) by Hasegawa Machiko starting in 1946 and Tezuka Osamu's ShinTakarajima (NewTreasure Island) in 1947 ushered in the age of modern manga in Japan.
Manga is incredibly popular with people of all ages in Japan and all over the world. It features a dizzying array of subjects, from sports to another world (isekai) stories; there is literally a manga for everyone. Manga can be enjoyed in magazines, books and online - in almost any language.
History of Cultural Ties between Japan and the Bay Area
The exhibition Art of Manga is the fourth wave of authentic, cutting-edge Japanese culture entering the Bay Area from Japan.
The first wave came with Japan's first-ever official delegation abroad, arriving in San Francisco on March 17, 1860. Sailing by what is now the Legion of Honor, this ship, called the Kanrin maru, would have a lasting impact on Japan as well as the image of Japan in the cultural imagination of the United States.
The second wave occurred with the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition planned by M. H. de Young, the founder of the de Young museum. Japanese arts and crafts were presented alongside other countries' works in the exhibition hall where the de Young now stands.
The third wave came with the signing of the Treaty of San Francisco on April 28, 1952, establishing peaceful relations between Japan and the Allied forces. This signing was preceded by an unprecedented special-loan exhibition by the Japanese government of top Japanese art treasures in September 1951, held only at the de Young museum.
In this fourth wave, exactly seventy-five years later, Art of Manga at the de Young will present the power of contemporary Japanese narrative art in a medium that has fast become a phenomenon especially among younger generations around the world.
Exhibition Organization
Art of Manga is organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Significant support is provided by Yurie and Carl Pascarella. Generous support is provided by Sandra Bessières and Leslee and Roger Budge. Additional support is provided by Genevieve and Matthew Anderson and the Henri and Tomoye Takahashi Charitable Foundation.
About the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, comprising the de Young in Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, is the largest public arts institution in San Francisco.
The de Young museum originated from the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition in Golden Gate Park. The present copper-clad landmark building, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, opened in 2005. Reflecting an active conversation among cultures, perspectives, and time periods, the collections on view include American painting, sculpture, and decorative arts from the 17th to the 21st centuries; arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas; costume and textile arts; and international modern and contemporary art.
The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco are located on land unceded by the Ramaytush Ohlone, who are the original inhabitants of what is now the San Francisco Peninsula. The greater Bay Area is also the ancestral territory of other Ohlone peoples, as well as the Miwok, Yokuts, and Patwin. We acknowledge, recognize, and honor the Indigenous ancestors, elders, and descendants whose nations and communities have lived in the Bay Area over many generations and continue to do so today. We respect the enduring relationships that exist between Indigenous peoples and their homelands. We are committed to partnering with Indigenous communities to raise awareness of their legacy and engage with the history of the region, the impacts of genocide, and the dynamics of settler colonialism that persist today.
Media Contacts
Morgan Braitberg, Publicist, press@famsf.org
Helena Nordstrom, Director of Communications, hnordstrom@famsf.org
SOURCE: The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
