The Golden Age of Chinese Cartoons
Before the powerhouses of Marvel and DC Comics came along, people in Singapore were introduced to the world of cartoons and comics of a completely different genre – cartoons that were a reflection of daily life and used to depict current affairs and served as a voice for the everyday man. From now until July 7, 2019, the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall will spotlight this lesser-known genre of cartoons that emerged in China and Singapore between the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century in its latest special exhibition Between the Lines The Chinese Cartoon Revolution.
Organised in collaboration with the Memorial Museum of 1911 Revolution in Guangzhou, China, Between the Lines showcases 150 cartoons and related artefacts published in Singapore and China. This period is significant to the Singaporean Chinese community as it was a delicate period of identity-making. It was a time when Chinese settlers made their way to Singapore to build their homes here; and marked a tumultuous political period in China, a homeland they were deeply connected to. Chinese cartoons became a medium through which they were updated about events in China; an avenue for them to reminisce, commiserate with their community back in China; and became a means through which they expressed themselves.
The Chinese cartoonists used witty and satirical sketches to convey the aspirations and thoughts of the Chinese community in China amidst a changing political landscape leading up to the revolution. These cartoons travelled to the Chinese diaspora in Singapore where the genre became a popular platform to reflect on local issues. By tracing the evolution of these Chinese cartoons, visitors can find comic relief amidst political commentaries, and are encouraged to read between the lines to gain a deeper historical understanding of the Chinese community in Singapore and the challenges they faced.
Mr Alvin Ting, General Manager of SYSNMH, says: “Cartoons are often viewed as a casual form of story-telling, however this exhibition casts a spotlight on the late 19th century, deemed as the ‘Golden Age’ of Chinese cartoons, and examines the symbolic role they played in documenting key events and sentiments. We hope that these cartoons will provide visitors with a different, and hopefully a more lighthearted way, to learn more about the social and political history of the Chinese community in Singapore.”
The exhibition is divided into four sections, which trace the evolution of the role of cartoons.
Born in Crisis traces the emergence of the first Chinese cartoon in China and how it was used as a tool to raise awareness of the threat posed by foreign powers following China’s defeat in the First Sino-japanese War in the late 19th century;
Revolutionary Lines and Strokes highlights the first use of Chinese cartoons by revolutionaries such as Pan Da Wei and Qian Bing He, as a propaganda tool in efforts to establish a new republic;
Sparking a cartoon revolution traces the emergence of Chinese cartoons in Singapore, in response to the revolutionary movement against the Qing government in China in the early 20th century;
The Golden Age shows the shift in focus of Chinese cartoons in Singapore, to focus more on local issues and concerns.
http://sysnmh.org.sg.
STEP INTO THE GOLDEN AGE OF CHINESE CARTOONS TO UNCOVER STORIES OF SINGAPORE’S PAST AT SUN YAT SEN NANYANG MEMORIAL HALL’S NEWEST EXHIBITION.