This week, New York’s Phillppe Labaune Gallery kicked off its Frank Cho Art Exhibition.
From the press release:
This Fall, curator Nathaniel Pallant and the Philippe Labaune Gallery will present a career-spanning exhibit of Cho’s artwork including pieces from the artist’s personal sketchbooks, new paintings, and examples of Cho’s fan-favorite comic art from titles such as Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Conan the Barbarian.
Cho began his comics career with Everything but the Kitchen Sink, a comic strip in Maryland’s Prince George Community College’s weekly newspaper and daily comic University2 for University of Maryland newspaper The Diamondback, which earned him the 1994 College Cartoonist Charles M. Schulz Award. Shortly after graduating, Cho launched his syndicated comic strip Liberty Meadows, where he honed the masterful draftsmanship, razorsharp humor, and playful approach to the classic pin-up style that has earned him legions of passionate fans.
“Perched at the intersection of classical illustration and the kinetic energy of comic art, Frank Cho resists easy classification.” said Philippe Labaune. “His work prompts the question: which came first – the illustrator or the storyteller? Is it his command of line and form that breathes life into his comics, or did the narrative demands of comics sharpen his precision and elevate his draftsmanship? In Cho’s case, the answer is both. Like the chicken and the egg, his illustrative elegance and comic vitality are inseparable, each feeding and refining the other in a seamless, self-sustaining loop. This exhibition reveals his evolving fine art sensibilities, personal sketchbook studies, mastery over the ballpoint pen, and new paintings that echo the vitality of Frazetta, the sensuality of Manara, the precision of Darrow, and the mischievous wit uniquely his own.”
Of particular note is Cho’s extraordinary crosshatching technique which is a meticulous practice that reveals his reverence for traditional methods. Through dense lines and tonal precision, he creates works that feel sculpted from ink, each figure rendered with volume, weight, and palpable energy. His technical mastery brings to mind the classic illustrators of the early 20th century, while reimagining their sensibilities for the modern era.
“I want to revive the classical sensibilities of the Golden Age of Illustration into comics breaking boundaries and seamlessly blending genres into a visually striking and harmonious style,” says Cho.
“At the heart of Cho’s creative universe is his celebrated depiction of beautiful, strong women — not just as muses, but as protagonists” adds curator Nathaniel Pallant.
“Frank Cho is not just an illustrator, he is a visual storyteller,” explains Labaune. “His work speaks volumes through gesture, anatomy, and attitude, capturing moments that are at once intimate and mythic. This exhibition pulls back the curtain on his influences, creative process, and artistic philosophy. It is a celebration of craftsmanship, narrative power, and the rich visual language of comics reimagined as fine art.”
The Frank Cho Exhibition will be open to the public from Friday September 19th until Saturday October 25th. There will be an opening reception on Thursday, September 18th from 6pm to 9pm .
The Philippe Labaune gallery is located at 534 West 24th Street in New York and is open from Thursday through Saturday, from 10am to 6pm. The roots of Philippe Labaune Gallery have a strong European influence: among the artists are esteemed creators such as Lorenzo Mattotti, Nicolas de Crécy, Guido Crepax, Dave Mckean or François Schuiten. In recent years, American artists such as Landis Blair, Rebecca Leveille Guay, Mike Mignola, Frank Miller, Paul Pope, and Peter de Sève have helped Philippe Labaune Gallery to foster a community of overlapping art collectors and comic fans from all over the world.
