Wearing a short, black jumper, her head enveloped in a wig of vibrant blue hair, pigtails extending down to her thighs, and adorned with an oversized black bow, Katie Lowe, 20, of Newport Beach, walked slowly through the Bowers Museum, pausing for a selfie in front of a Hatsune Miku print.
Lowe made herself up as Miku, the iconic Vocaloid character whose likeness is among the more than 500 pieces comprising “Asian Comics: Evolution of An Art Form,” a collection of original mass-produced Asian comics, Hindu scroll paintings, Japanese woodblock prints and digital media creations that are now on display at the Bowers in Santa Ana.
The Asian comics exhibition chronicles the art of comics and visual storytelling across the continent of Asia, from the historical beginnings of the unique art form to its modern explosion into mass media.
The exhibition runs through Sept. 8.
Lowe, who was among several influencers invited to the exhibition’s recent media day, said she began exploring Asian comic art four years ago, during the coronavirus lockdown.
“My friends were telling me to watch anime, so I was like, ‘There’s no better time than now,’” said Lowe, a sophomore at Loyola Marymount. “I was scrolling through Tik Tok and I saw cosplayers doing their thing, and then four years later, here I am.
“Part of why I love it is because there’s so many creative people in this,” she said. “Creative people are drawn to it.”
After being displayed in Italy and France, the exhibition is making its North American debut at the Bowers. While Japanese manga (comics and graphic novels) is a focal point, the exhibition showcases iconic characters, creators and major publications from across all of Asia.
“I realize that many of us believe that this fantasy culture is only for the youngsters and I often get reactions from older people, such as, ‘I don’t know much about it, but my kids are absolutely obsessed with it,’ et cetera, et cetera,” Bowers…
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