Africa Comics Exhibition

An exhibition of Africa Comics is showing at the Studio Museum in Harlem in New York, until 18 March 2007. It features the work of 32 artists from across the continent, including Angola, Cameroon, Eritrea, Mali, and Togo. According to the exhibition press release this is the first-ever exhibition in the United States dedicated exclusively to comic art from across Africa.

The Africa Comics exhibition showcases a "new generation of African artists [which] is expressing itself through a medium most Americans associate with superheroes and funny pages. Using comics, this talented group depicts the rage, desperation, hope, and humor of daily life in Africa. ... The work, which addresses issues as wide-ranging as corruption, human rights, immigration, and the plight of women, provides an unprecedented glimpse into modern Africa."

A review in Newsweek magazine (18 December 2006 by Jennie Yabroff says: "Though the stories may be harrowing, the effect of the show is anything but. The panels, whether crammed with words and graphics, washed in vivid tones or boldly drawn in black and white, pulse with energy and imagination ... in all the works , the message comes across that African artists are using the global medium of comics to produce art that is as stunning as it is politically charged."

The Studio Museum in Harlem is a contemporary art museum that focuses on the work of artists of African descent locally, nationally, and globally, as well as work that has been inspired and influenced by African-American culture. It'ss located at 144 West 125th Street, New York (how to get there), and is open Wednesday to Sunday. A 200-page catalog has been reproduced to accompany the exhibition on African comics and can be ordered from the museum's store.

See Also:

• Overview and History of Comics (From About's Comic Books Guide)
• Investing in Comic Books (From About's Comic Books Guide)
• Traveller's Guide to New York (From About's New York for Visitors Guide)