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Tezuka

Astro Boy Pheonix Princess Knight

23 February to 29 April 2007
Art Gallery of New South Wales 

TEZUKA Osamu is acknowledged as an artistic master, and is revered as the figurehead of the manga and anime industries in Japan. In the West he is best known for Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion which were serialised internationally for television in the 1960s.

Manga is the Japanese word for comics and print cartoons. Manga is respected both as an art form and as a form of popular literature. Manga has a huge global following and has had a major influence on international comics and animation.

Tezuka Osamu (1928-1989) drew over 150,000 pages of manga and created over 700 manga titles during his lifetime. His work is acclaimed for its complexity and originality and his drawings showcase an extraordinary calligraphic dynamism. 

Tezuka: the Marvel of Manga is a tribute to the importance and depth of Tezuka’s creativity. The exhibition features over 200 original works from the late 1940s to the late 1980s including black and white ink drawings as well as colourful designs for covers and posters. 

Philip Brophy, curator of the exhibition and Australia’s leading authority on Japanese manga and animation and said “This is the first time Tezuka’s original drawings have been seen outside of Japan. The exhibition presents the unique power and importance of the manga form within Japanese culture”.

Organised by the National Gallery of Victoria in association with Tezuka Productions in Tokyo, the exhibition features work from the two main streams within Tezuka’s prolific output; his manga for children and youth-based audience (including Astro Boy, Jungle Emperor and Princess Knight), and his gekiga (drama pictures) that are more seriously toned, adult orientated narratives (including Crime and Punishment, Buddha and Phoenix). 

Associated programs include:

Studio Ghibli free film series
Wednesdays 2pm & 7.15pm, Sundays 2pm
21 February to 29 April 2007
Broadening and expanding the horizons of the artform of anime (Japanese animation), Studio Ghibli is one of the most significant animation studios in Japan. Established in 1985, it continues in the philosophical tradition of Osamu Tezuka, the visionary creator of Astro Boy, producing magical, award-winning animations by renowned directors such as Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata and others. This film series, screening in conjunction with "Tezuka: The marvel of manga", is a comprehensive showcase of the output of Studio Ghibli and includes such classic titles as The cat returns (2002), Spirited away (2001) and Kiki's delivery service (1989).

Catalogue
Exhibition catalogue available from the gallery shop $32.95.

On-line education kit
Programs for Year 7 to 12 with early entry for grouped school groups. An on-line education kit is available.

Podcasts and online Audio
Available from the National Gallery of Victoria website

Guided tours daily at 1pm

Curator talks
Wednesday 14 March, 5.30pm - Philip Brophy, exhibition curator 
Wednesday 28 March, 5.30pm - Chiaki Ajioka, independent curator

Asian program partner

Visasia


Supported by

Channel 10        Qantas

 

On view:23 February to 29 April 2007
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Art Gallery Road, The Domain, Sydney
Telephone:(02) 9225 1744 or recorded information
(02) 9225 1790
Nationwide toll-free 1800 679 278
Hours:10am until 5pm, 7 days a week
Art After Hours - every Wednesday until 9pm
Closed Christmas Day
Admission:$10 adults
$7 concession
$27 family
Media Information and Interviews:Claire Martin, Press Office
Telephone (02) 9225 1734 or 0414 437 588
clairem@ag.nsw.gov.au

IMAGE CREDIT: LEFT TO RIGHT: TEZUKA Osamu (Japanese 1928-89) Astro Boy (Tetsuwan Atomu) (detail) title page for Mystery Man of the Blast Furnace, 1961, Shonen, published by Kobunsha, gouache, 34.3x23cm; Phoenix, (Hi no tori) (detail) cover for Future, 1976, Monthly Manga Shonen, vol. 2, published by Asahi Sonorama, gouache, 29.5x34cm; Princess Knight, (Ribon no kishi) title page for Princess Knight, 1965, Nakayoshi and Nakayoshi Comics, vol. 4, published by Kodansha, gouache, 37.8x28.2cm
All images � Tezuka Productions.