Manga is heading into the museum spotlight in a major way this autumn.
Opening on 3rd October 2026, Brooklyn Museum will present Art of Manga — the first large-scale exhibition in the Americas dedicated to manga as an art form — bringing together more than 600 original drawings by some of Japan’s most influential manga artists in a landmark survey of one of the world’s most powerful visual storytelling mediums.
Organised by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and making its East Coast debut in New York, the exhibition positions manga not simply as popular culture, but as a serious artistic practice — one shaped by extraordinary draftsmanship, formal innovation and storytelling that continues to influence visual culture worldwide.
At the heart of the exhibition is the work of the mangaka — the artists whose distinctive lines, compositions and narratives define the medium. While manga is often discussed as a publishing phenomenon, Art of Manga shifts focus to the hand, imagination and creative process behind it, offering US audiences a rare chance to see original genga (hand-drawn manga artwork) up close.
“The show’s focus on artists is what makes it so special,” said Joan Cummins, Curatorial Chair and Selz Senior Curator of Asian Art at Brooklyn Museum. “US audiences almost never get a chance to see original drawings for Japanese manga, let alone such an extensive selection.”
The exhibition spans manga’s history and evolution, beginning with foundational figures including Chiba Tetsuya and Akatsuka Fujio, before moving into dedicated sections exploring eight major contemporary artists whose work has shaped global manga culture.
Highlights include original drawings by Araki Hirohiko, creator of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure; Oda Eiichiro, creator of ONE PIECE, one of the best-selling comic series of all time; Takahashi Rumiko, one of manga’s most commercially successful and influential voices; and Tagame Gengoroh, whose pioneering work in gay manga has expanded the medium’s social and cultural reach.
Also featured are works by celebrated artists including Taniguchi Jir?, Yamazaki Mari, Yamashita Kazumi and Yoshinaga Fumi, whose work spans historical fiction, literary manga, contemporary life and deeply character-driven storytelling.
Crucially, the exhibition explores how manga tackles universal and urgent themes — from coming-of-age narratives and human resilience to environmentalism, gender identity, LGBTQ+ rights and economic inequality — reinforcing its role not only as entertainment, but as a serious social and artistic language.
Presented in the museum’s soaring Great Hall galleries, Art of Manga promises an immersive introduction to manga’s visual power, formal sophistication and global resonance — offering longtime fans and first-time readers alike a rare opportunity to see the medium reframed through the lens of art history.
For a form that has shaped generations of readers and artists across continents, it feels like an overdue — and important — institutional recognition.
Art of Manga opening 3rd October, 2026, Brooklyn Museum
Art of Manga?is organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Support for the exhibition tour has been generously provided by Dai Nippon Printing.
The Brooklyn Museum Exhibition Fund supports the research, development, and presentation of all the Museum’s exhibitions, from major international shows to innovative curatorial projects, ensuring the Museum can present ambitious, world-class exhibitions that engage diverse audiences. We gratefully acknowledge the donors whose support of the Brooklyn Museum Exhibition Fund makes this work possible: Nancy P. Magoon, John H.?and?Regina K. Scully, and Deedee and Barrie Wigmore.
