21/03/19

See the art of manga at Japan House London

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The Japanese are masters of fantasy – reflected through their imaginative, virtual worlds of anime and manga. These comics and animations promote a highly imaginative, often stylised world, which is intimately linked to Japanese culture and increasingly connecting to the global youth. They can feature unique characters, complex adult storylines, and cover a broad range of genres. At Spinach, we work with a number of Japanese and Japanese-inspired brands and are often immersing our creative team in the culture of old and new Japan.

This summer Japan House London will present an exhibition on manga told through the work of internationally acclaimed artist Urasawa Naoki. ‘This is Manga – the Art of Urasawa Naoki’ (5 June – 28 July 2019) offers an immersive encounter with the popular Japanese art form. Since his professional debut in 1983, Urasawa has engaged readers with dynamic storytelling and sophisticated characters that explore the hopes, dreams, and underlying fears of humanity. His international breakthrough came in the mid-1990s with the release of the mystery ‘Monster’ narrating the world of a Japanese surgeon living in Germany. His titles span various genres – sports, comedy, mystery, science fiction – and his drawing style is famous for innovative compositional techniques, and bold black and white panels.

In an industry that has become increasingly global, Urasawa retains a unique style, a devotion to his craft, and the integrity of his ideas to reflect an uncompromising view of the human condition. He skillfully weaves social context and detailed cultural settings into his stories to help illustrate how overarching social and historical forces influence the actions of his characters.

The exhibition at Japan House will explore the fusion of story and artwork in Manga, its evolution from picture-book styles developed in the late 19th century and influences from modern life. More than 400 original drawings and storyboards will be on show, with four consecutive stories from Urasawa’s ‘Yawara!’ featured over the course of the exhibition, one story told every two weeks.

Images © Japan House London.

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