Zhou Tao/Shanghai Daily news
For most of us, comics are means to express thoughts or opinions in a
humorous or even sarcastic way.
The 8th Asian Comic Exhibition, sponsored by
the Shanghai Cultural Development Foundation, showcases 84 original pictures
through which visitors can see the different lifestyles of Asian
countries.
"The Meaning of Being" is the theme of the exhibition, and 13
comic artists from 11 countries with pen and brush depict their countrymen and
their ways of life in a humorous way.
The drawings are not only about
international issues but also involve the lifestyles of ordinary people. In many
cases, the artists show how hard life can be and the loneliness of the modern
citizen.
Japanese artist Imahase Harumi’s work bout a housewife
having a grand funeral for her pet dog.
In one picture by Japanese artist Imahase Harumi, a housewife has
a grand funeral for her pet dog, leaving her husband with nothing on the table
for dinner. The dog has been her only comfort because her husband, a typical
white-collar worker, hardly has time to communicate with her.
Visitors can
also see how the artists poke fun at injustice and the ridiculousness of some
politicians. In another picture, a politician is nailed on a cross together with
other sinners because he sold state-owned assets to businessmen and made a
fortune out of it.
Another picture shows a group of beggars sitting in middle
of the road having a meeting like that of the board of a company. The
"president" says, pointing to a chart in his hand, that "this shows our earnings
have dropped by 20 percent."
Sun Yongchang, an old businessman, viewed the
show with great interest as he has been reading comic strips for many years, and
"Blondie" is one of his favorites.
"I'm here because I'm going to draw my own
graphic novel," Sun says. "Although the pictures here are quite different from
graphic novels, I can also learn something. I think comics have a strong social
and educational function."
Date: through December 1, 9am-4pm
Venue: Liu Haisu Art Museum,
1660 Hongqiao Rd
Admission: 10 yuan
Tel: 6270-1018
