The Art Angle Manga Mania Gets Its Big Museum Moment
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Oct 16, 2025 Nicole Coolidge Rousmaniere, a curator specializing in Japanese art and manga, discusses her latest project, the Art of Manga exhibition at the De Young Museum. She delves into manga's intriguing historical roots, linking it to Japanese art, and explores its rise in museums today. Nicole shares anecdotes about commissioning works at the British Museum and the significant impact of the 2019 exhibition. She highlights how manga, defined by its unique visual language, can connect modern audiences through its compelling storytelling and artistic expression.
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British Museum Manga Collaboration
- Nicole arranged for Hoshino Yukinobu to create a manga about the British Museum called Professor Munakata's British Museum Adventures.
- The project led to a 2015 British Museum show and wider public engagement with manga there.
Manga Brings New Museum Audiences
- The British Museum show drew new, younger visitors who had never been there before.
- That demographic shift convinced Tom Campbell to pursue a dedicated manga exhibition at the De Young.
Manga Is A Visual Grammar
- Manga is a graphic narrative that conveys story primarily through images and page flow rather than text.
- It uses a distinct visual grammar and allows readers to absorb information much faster than text alone.
