WANDER | 'Asian Comics' x Chinese Canadian Museum x Chinatown

Chinatown—(October 6, 2026) From the Barbican Centre in London and curated by renowned comics historian Paul Garvett comes the Canadian premiere of the featured Asian Comics: Evolution of an Art Form touring exhibition on display at the Chinese Canadian Museum. Browse more than four hundred original pieces of timeless artwork, rare publications, and diverse multimedia works from across twenty regions of the Asian continent.



Organized into separate thematic topics, including history, mythology, slice of life, imaginative fiction, and erotica, there is art and artifacts from across China, Japan, both North and South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Taiwan, Thailand, and Malaysia.

Micro Finance Kaavad (India 2017) by Satyanarayan Suthar and Mangilal Mistri

Track the traditional graphic novel medium to manga, folklore, and fantasy to historical propaganda and digital installations as the exhibit chronicles Asian cross-cultural imagery and relics spanning global pop culture. Touring Asian Comics, it's hard not to see the shared complex histories of Asian nations influencing each other through the generations.

Gekiga Fanatics!! (Japan 1979-83) / Dokudami Tenement (Japan 1979-93) / Real Reference for Comic Artists (Indonesia 2009)

This particular edition of Asian Comics also features a specially curated section by Museum Director of Curatorial Programs Olivia Chow (not to be confused with the current Mayor of Toronto) on Canadian-Asian comic books that spotlights many Chinese-Canadian artists and authors. Their immersive work dives into the Chinese diaspora, including identity, memory, reclaimed histories, and coming-of-age stories.



Wandering around and looking at all the rich visual artistry and cultural materials is a real treat for enthusiasts of any age. Make sure not to miss it. Asian Comics: Evolution of an Art Form is on display now until August 15th, 2027.


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