Akira is attributed to helping start the movement of manga and anime making its way to the west, so it seems quite fitting that it will also serve as the start to The Philippe Labaune Gallery in New York. That's right, The Philippe Labaune Gallery is kicking off with an Akira tribute for its inaugural event.
New York Cityis a cultural mecca, from fantastical broadway shows to the finest of fine art. With manga and anime finally rising to the top of western pop culture, manga is now set to take the stage as part of New York City's offerings. The exhibit is not only here to pay homage to the ground breaking Akira, but to even feature works from the original creator of the series, Katsuhiro Otomo, himself.
Featuring work from twenty nine different international artists alongside the works of Otomo, the gallery is sure to be a hot spot and must see stop for anime and manga lovers alike. Titled Good for Health - Bad for Education: A Tribute to Otomo, the installation opened on April 8 and will be running until May 8, meaning fans will only have one month (which has already kicked off) to get themselves there.
According to the gallery's website, featured artists include Dominique Bertail, Mathieu Bablet, Ian Bertram, Matthieu Bonhomme, François Boucq, Boulet, Francesco Cattani, Simone D’Armini, Adrien Demont, Jean-Jacques Dzialowski, Benoit Féroumont, Manuele Fior, Joel Jurion, Kalonji, Viktor Kalvachev, Nicolas Keramidas, Li-An, LRNZ, Dilraj Mann, Laureline Mattiussi, Hugues Micol, Giannis Milonogiannis, Marion Mousse, Katsuhiro Otomo, Paul Pope, Vincent Perriot, Sara Pichelli, Victor Santos, Olivier Vatine, and Vince.
A range of different artistic styles grace the gallery with one main common thread; the influence of Otomo's original work on Akira. Philippe Labaune, for which the gallery is named, is a longtime collector of comic books and comic art, hoping that this event can help to push the genre into a higher elevation amongst the art community, gaining it the recognition and status he wholly feels it deserves.
The work sampled on their website is absolutely stunning, but, as with most art, merely seeing a picture on the screen hardly does it justice. To really appreciate the pieces, and the hard work put into creating them, one must experience them in person. Aside from the greater appreciation one can gain from seeing them with their own eyes, fans will be able to geek out at the chance to see art created by the very hands behind Akira, Katsuhiro Otomo.
The Good for Health - Bad for Education: A Tribute to Otomo Akira exhibit is open now at The Philippe Labaune Gallery!
Source: The Philippe Labaune Gallery