In the world of horror manga, few names are viewed with as much reverence — and shudder — as Junji Ito; inarguably the genre’s contemporary master. The multiple award-winning 60-year-old artist is famed for his black-and-white graphic novels and short stories revolving around body horror, supernatural terrors, societal cruelty and spiraling insanity. Ito's magnum opus, "Uzumaki" (Spiral), explores a town's fixation with the twisting shapes, turning a common pattern into a symbol of cosmic horror and inevitability.
The sinister beauty of Ito's art is currently showcased at Tokyo's Setagaya Literary Museum, until Sept. 1 in the “Enchantment” exhibition. On view is an extensive retrospective spanning a four-decade career, featuring about 600 works from childhood doodles to recent illustrations to stunning figurines, exploring his themes, evolution and sardonic take on our collective fear of death.
Despite Ito’s manga having been translated into over 30 languages, this exhibition — remarkably — is the first such showcase of the artist’s work in Japan.