In cartoonist lingo, a “baby” is a cartoon. Cartoonists often speak of finding homes for their babies, or places of publication. However, the term “babies” in this exhibition has other meanings as well. They refer to the artists themselves, young in age or their careers.
In its nearly 100-year history, the [New Yorker] magazine has published relatively few cartoonists of Asian descent. The first seems to be Warner Brothers illustrator Monroe Leung in 1949 (whose work is included in the exhibition). Leung had few successors before Amy Hwang in 2010.
“When I was in college [at the Savannah College of Art and Design],” said Nguyen, “nobody told us The New Yorker was a viable option.”
However, in the last few years, there has been a sudden uptick in talent and a wider variety of artists at The New Yorker, including the 10 featured in this exhibition.
The Asian Babies exhibit presents published and original works.
Michael Maslin has links to Amy Hwang and Jeremy Nguyen interviews.
above: a Monroe Leung cartoon not from The New Yorker
Join us Friday, Oct. 11, from 5 to 7 p.m., in our TriBeCa gallery as we celebrate these talented artists, writers, and humorists.
Can’t make the reception? No worries. The exhibition is on view in our TriBeCa gallery from Oct. 4, 2019 through Jan. 12, 2020. Open every day, 10 a.m. to 7:20 p.m. Free and open to the public.