Bob Hilvers Lecture – The Duality of Manga and Nanga Bonsai in Meiji Japan

Bob Hilvers Lecture
January 22, 2026 • 8:30 AM
Conley Art Gallery, California State University, Fresno

The Duality of Manga and Nanga Bonsai in Meiji Japan, this lecture by Bob Hilvers explores how Meiji-era artists bridged the refined tradition of Nanga (literati painting) with the emerging visual language of Manga through humor, narrative, and shifting cultural values. Hilvers also examines how bonsai served as a living embodiment of continuity and care during a time of rapid transformation.

This program is also held in connection with GIFTED: The Japanese Art of Kyōsai, Kyōsui, & Kyōtei from the Richard E. Dyck Collection, inviting viewers to reflect on how illustrated art, bonsai aesthetics, and literati traditions intersected as Japan moved toward modernity.