The Japan Foundation, Toronto presents:


Shojo Manga! Girl Power!
GIRLS' COMICS FROM JAPAN





September 6 - October 4, 2006


The Japan Foundation, Toronto
131 Bloor Street West (Bay subway station)
2nd Floor of the Colonnade building


Opening Reception and Lecture by Curator Dr. Masami Toku: September 6,
6:30 - 8:30 PM
RSVP Required: 416-966-1600, ext. 600 or rsvp@jftor.org


Gallery Hours: Monday - Friday, 11:30 AM - 4:30 PM & Thursday until 7:00 PM
Special Saturday Openings: September 9, and 16 Noon - 5:00 PM
Closed: Sundays and all other Saturdays


Free Admission


TORONTO (August 15, 2006):


The Japan Foundation, Toronto presents the exhibition Shojo Manga! Girl
Power! Girls' Comics From Japan curated by Dr. Masami Toku of California
State University. The exhibition will be on display from September 6 -
October 4, 2006 at the Japan Foundation, Toronto. In conjunction with the
exhibition, curator Dr. Toku will present a lecture entitled "The Power of
Shojo Manga: Its Value and Contribution to Visual Culture and Society" on
September 6, 2006.


Featuring more than 200 works by 23 artists, this exhibit is the first of
its kind to explore the unique styles of female manga artists and examines
their contributions to the development of Shojo Manga. The exhibit is
divided into three main periods: 1) The dawn of Shojo Manga, 2) The
diversity of Shojo Manga, and 3) The new generation and new directions in
Shojo Manga. In a sense, Shojo Manga serves as a commentary and a narrative
of the lives of Japanese girls and women as they negotiate their changing
social roles, aesthetics, and societal expectations. Interpersonal
relationships, love, sex, and women's self-representation are amongst some
of the many themes found in Shojo Manga.


Overall, this touring exhibition is a comprehensive introduction to
newcomers and an in depth exploration of the evolution of themes and
expressions in Shojo Manga. It provides convincing explanations for manga's
enviable role in Japanese popular culture and its increasing international
appeal.


Shojo Manga! Girl Power! is part of an international touring exhibit that
has traveled to California State University, Chico, University of New
Mexico, Columbia College Chicago and The Pratt Institute, Brooklyn.


Dr. Masami Toku is an Associate Professor of art education at California
State University, Chico. Her research interest is the cross-cultural study
of children's artistic and aesthetic developments in their pictorial world
and how visual popular culture influences children's visual literacy. In her
lecture, Dr. Toku will provide an overview of the works exhibited in the
current exhibit and examine more closely the individual creators of Shojo
Manga, providing a deeper look into the development and impact of this form
of visual pop culture. For more on Dr. Toku see www.csuchico.edu/~mtoku/vc




The Japan Foundation, Toronto is located at 131 Bloor Street West in the Colonnade Building between Bay Street and Avenue Road on the south side. The centre is situated on the second floor.
http://www.japanfoundationcanada.org/