Brooklyn Museum to Stage First Major Americas Survey of Manga as Fine Art in 2026

From October 3, 2026, the Brooklyn Museum will host "Art of Manga," the first major exhibition in the Americas that celebrates manga as a legitimate art form. This showcase, organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, will make its debut on the East Coast in New York, displaying over 600 original hand-drawn manga pieces (genga) from some of Japan's most prominent mangaka. The exhibition shifts the narrative from manga as a publishing trend to its artistic essence, emphasizing craftsmanship and innovation. It covers manga's evolution from pioneers like Chiba Tetsuya and Akatsuka Fujio to contemporary artists such as Araki Hirohiko (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure) and Oda Eiichiro (ONE PIECE). Themes explored include coming-of-age, environmentalism, gender identity, LGBTQ+ rights, and economic inequality. Joan Cummins, the Curatorial Chair at the Brooklyn Museum, noted the unique opportunity to view original manga art in the US. The exhibition is supported by Dai Nippon Printing and the Brooklyn Museum Exhibition Fund, with contributions from donors like Nancy P. Magoon, John H. and Regina K. Scully, and Deedee and Barrie Wigmore.