From July 3rd to September 23rd of 2024, The National Art Center in Tokyo held the CLAMP Exhibition, a major exhibition dedicated to the famous manga artist collective, showcasing around 800 original manuscripts in one of the largest exhibition spaces in Japan. In 2024 CLAMP are celebrating their 35th anniversary as professional manga artists and this exhibition is a culmination of that milestone.
CLAMP is a creative group of four women who have produced a range of iconic manga across a variety of demographics, from shoujo to seinen. Some of their most notable works include Tokyo Babylon, X, Magic Knight Rayearth, Cardcaptor Sakura, Chobits, Tsubasa – RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE – and xxxHolic. They started as a larger group of 12 women in the late 1980s producing doujinshis of popular works such as Saint Seiya and Captain Tsubasa. They made their professional debut in 1989 on the pages of the third edition of South magazine (Shinsokan) with their original story RG Veda. By that time, the collective had shrunk to six members, eventually leading to its ultimate formation with its four current members: Igarashi Satsuki, Ohkawa Nanase, Nekoi, and Mokona.
The idea to hold a dedicated CLAMP exhibition first came about in September 2019 from one of CLAMP’s main publishers, Kodansha, after the successful run of the Cardcaptor Sakura Exhibition – the Enchanted Museum exhibition at the Mori Arts Center Gallery, which would later travel to other cities in Japan and Asia. Soon after, other publishers and companies related to CLAMP and their works formed a committee and started planning the exhibition. It took five years of planning but, according to one of the exhibition producers from Kodansha, from the very beginning there was a desire to do the exhibition at The National Art Center, a grand museum with spacious, eight-meters high ceiling exhibition rooms that have hosted exhibitions of legendary artists such as Salvador Dali, Caravaggio, and Monet. As far as I’ve been able to discover, this is the first time the Center has put on an exhibition of this scale focusing on women artists.
There had been several exhibitions showcasing CLAMP’s original manuscripts in the past 35 years, particularly for their most popular works such as Magic Knight Rayearth and Cardcaptor Sakura. As for exhibitions centered on CLAMP’s entire body of work, perhaps the most significant one had been the CLAMP Su exhibition, which was held at the Kawasaki City Museum from January 22nd to April 10th of 2005, on the occasion of the group’s 15th anniversary. This 2024 exhibition is, however, CLAMP’s largest one to date.
I have been closely following CLAMP’s activities since November of 2000, when the Cardcaptor Sakura TV anime started airing in my home country, Brazil, where I still live. Since then, not only have I read all their works and watched all the anime adaptations, but I have also been actively involved in fandom, created a blog which later evolved into a website dedicated to them, and began a collection that now has over 1000 items. I had been lucky and privileged enough to see CLAMP’s original manuscripts for the first time in 2009 when an exhibition was held at the now permanently closed La Galerie des Bibliothèques, in Paris. As if that itself wasn’t an unique experience, the CLAMP members themselves were there in person during the opening, which made it even more special and unforgettable. Still, the Paris exhibition was a small one, in a small venue. When this CLAMP Exhibition was first announced, I knew I had to be there in person, especially after it was announced it would be their largest exhibition. Planning a trip to Japan from Brazil is not a casual affair. The fastest trips usually take at least 30 hours of long haul flights and layovers, but I was sure it would be worth it.
The exhibition itself was divided into seven themed areas: “COLOR,” “LOVE,” “ADVENTURE,” “MAGIC,” “PHRASE,” “IMAGINATION,” and “DREAM”. The visitor is guided through each area in that order. The “COLOR” area featured around 100 original colored artworks from all of the 23 works created by CLAMP over the years, showcasing the variety of techniques used by the talented team. From the bold and lavished strokes in RG Veda and X, to the color-blocking aesthetics made almost entirely using colored screentones in Tokyo Babylon, going to the popular copic markers in Magic Knight Rayearth and Cardcaptor Sakura, the colored pencils in ‘Suki. Dakara Suki’, the acrylic gouache in Chobits, the digital coloring in Legal Drug/Drug & Drop, up until the manuscript paper color used as skin tone in xxxHolic, just to name a few.
Special attention is given to the variety of art materials, papers, techniques, and styles used to represent each work’s worldview, highlighting CLAMP’s artistic versatility. This is possible to experience thanks to the captions detailing the art materials used for each piece and the optional audio guide that, among other things, brings attention to the fact that CLAMP are likely the only manga artists in Japan that are able to consistently switch styles between works, sometimes while serializing multiple series simultaneously. The introductory text in this room and the audio guide tracks both highlight to visitors that such artistic versatility is strictly linked to CLAMP’s ability to produce diverse manga works across various genres and demographics including boys’, girls’, and young men’s comics.
The two highlighted pieces from this room were a massive, over one meter high artwork that was used for a RG Veda poster during the time of its OVA release and the full illustration featured on the spines of the X manga compiled books, including a never before seen portion of the illustration that is supposed to come out on the spines of the yet-to-be-published last few volumes left, if and when the series ever returns from the hiatus status that started in 2003.
“No feelings are ever overlooked
The diverse forms of love drawn by CLAMP.”
These are the words that introduce visitors to the LOVE area. CLAMP are known for exploring and depicting multiple kinds of love through their works, regardless of the genre and target audience. In this area, dozens of monochromatic original manuscripts in no particular order are displayed, each portraying a key scene representing CLAMP’s views of love in all shapes and forms: love between friends; parent and a child, siblings; human being and a non-human being, such as an angel, an android or a pet; unrequited love and other diverse types of relationships are represented. Same-sex relationships are common in CLAMP’s works since their early days and those are not only present but highlighted in the LOVE area—one of the audio guide tracks available in this area is entirely dedicated to a key scene that is on display between two female characters in love with each other during the climax of RG Veda.
A huge A-shaped archway decorated with elements from CLAMP manga takes visitors to the ADVENTURE area, where original manuscripts from RG Veda, Tokyo Babylon, X, Magic Knight Rayearth, Cardcaptor Sakura and Tsubasa -RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE- are on display in that order, respecting the chronological order in which they were published in Japan.
Although the older manuscripts have yellowing and the occasional dark spots caused by specific glue types used by manga artists more than 30 years ago, the manuscripts on display were all in very good condition.
One aspect that was very impressive and consistent to almost all monochrome manuscripts was the use of “whiteouts,” which are the white dots that are carefully splashed on top of the finished manuscript that add depth, impact, lightness or heaviness, or even a sense of drama. Many manga artists use this technique, but CLAMP have used it consistently in their works, making it another aspect of their signature style. In the printed pages in publications, the whiteouts become flat and two-dimensional, whereas in the original manuscripts, one could appreciate their embossed and three-dimensional aspects, appreciating that the manuscripts are real and hand-made.
In the X section, in particular, despite being safely secured behind a glass in beautiful white frames, one could almost feel the thickness and heavy weight of the overly toned manuscripts by the multiple layers of screentone applied on top of them, some of which were even starting to slightly peel off due to the effect of time and the logistics involved in showcasing them for an exhibition. However those multiple layers of screentone and cutting and pasting work is precisely what makes X… well, X. CLAMP have stated in past interviews that finishing an X manuscript took twice as long as it does for their other series and that was noticeable by the crowd lining up to check its manuscripts up close. The “X corner” was always crowded with visitors paying close attention to every detail on the busy pages of X.
Other popular exhibits were for Magic Knight Rayearth and Cardcaptor Sakura, some of CLAMP’s most popular works not only in Japan but also internationally. Referring back to the audio guide, the track for Magic Knight Rayearth highlighted the fact that it was a bold decision to add robots in a shoujo manga and how the ending of the first series was unusual for a magazine targeted for young girls, but that it was well received enough to greenlight a sequel, showing that CLAMP understood the assignment even during their first time drawing for that particular audience. As for Cardcaptor Sakura, the track highlighted its role as CLAMP’s breakout hit on a national level, as well as the fact that Sakura herself fully respects and accepts a spectrum of different identities, way before terms such as diversity and representativeness were en vogue.
Admiring the original manuscripts of a manga is an invitation to the creative process behind its creation. For instance, it thrilled me to learn that the Clow and Sakura cards that appear in Cardcaptor Sakura were each drawn separately and later downsized with the help of a copy machine or computer to then finally be pasted onto the manuscripts, assuring their consistency regardless of how many times they appear. A similar methodology was used with the complex magic circles that appear in both Cardcaptor Sakura and Tsubasa. If you think about it, that approach is the one that makes more sense, but one can only be effectively sure when looking at the original manuscripts. The same goes for all the guiding lines, small corrections and edits that can be only seen in an original manuscript.
The MAGIC area, the only area without original manuscripts on display, was an audiovisual experience with three large screens facing each other in a triangle. Their screens showed a loop of still illustrations drawn by CLAMP coming to motion using the bone animation technique.
CLAMP’s visuals are a treat for the eye. That goes without saying. But the collective is also known for their compelling narratives and impactful words. That is the main theme of the PHRASE area, divided into one room showing original manuscripts from xxxHolic and xxxHolic Rei and another with an interactive element where visitors could choose a round mirrored sticker containing a phrase spoken by a CLAMP character. Visitors were then invited to paste the mirrored sticker in one of the walls in the room anywhere they wanted. Soon enough, the entire room became one giant, four-sided mirror filled with meaningful phrases spoken by strong characters by CLAMP. One could spend hours reading through all the different phrases and digesting their meaning when analyzing them in such an isolated, out-of-context form.
Continuing the journey, the next stop is the IMAGINATION area, which delved into the group’s 35 years trajectory in creating manga and some of their collaboration works with other artists or brands. Two entire walls were used to visually display a timeline chronicling CLAMP’s manga releases over the years. Thanks to the way it was composed, it’s easy to see which title they were working on at the same time at any given moment. For instance, the years of 1999 and 2000 were the busiest, in which CLAMP worked on an impressive total of five series simultaneously.
There is a special attention given to CLAMP’s involvement in the book design of their compiled volumes (tankoubon), which is noted to be something rare for a manga artist to be involved as they usually leave that entirely up to the editorial department. However, due to CLAMP’s roots in the doujinshi scene, back in the day they used to produce their own books including the binding and overall design. Some of their doujinshi have extremely elaborate packaging and deluxe finishing, therefore it makes sense that they would get involved in the design of the final compiled book. On this same section, attention is given to the fact that CLAMP’s shounen series Tsubasa – RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE – was the first title to include a limited edition bundled with an OVA covering one of the series’ most popular arcs, which started a trend in the manga industry. This is just one example of CLAMP’s influence, impact, and legacy on the manga and anime industry.
One wall of the IMAGINATION area was dedicated to some of CLAMP’s collaboration efforts: original character concept arts for Sunrise’s popular Code Geass franchise were on display, as well as rough sketches from BLOOD-C and The Grimm Variations. Other collaborations showcased included the one with figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu and Hello Kitty, in which CLAMP provided a special design in celebration of the character’s 50th anniversary. Several Magic Knight Rayearth TV series script books (with episode scripts written by CLAMP’s Ohkawa Nanase) were also on display, showing that CLAMP are also involved in the anime adaptations of their own works.
Those are only a very small portion of all the collaboration works done by CLAMP over their 35 years career, but it would require at least one or two extra rooms to show them all. This spectrum of work explains why they define themselves not just as manga artists but as a “creative group.”
In the very middle of the IMAGINATION area stood a table with an interview printed on its surface entitled “4 Questions to CLAMP” (English translation available here) that focused on their creative process and the future. It was printed in such a way that visitors needed to circle around the table in order to read all of it.
Dreams play an important role in many CLAMP works, often as a major character motivation, so it’s no surprise that the very last area of the exhibition is called DREAM. Long, white curtains decorate each side of the room and a single artwork is displayed in the middle at the very end of the room: an illustration that CLAMP drew specially for this exhibition featuring Ashura (from RG Veda) and Kinomoto Sakura (from Cardcaptor Sakura) in mirrored positions, characters from their first and latest works, respectively.
Going past the artwork and just before leaving the exhibition, the very last thing visitors see is a quote originally spoken by CLAMP’s character Ichihara Yuuko (and later, Kimihiro Watanuki) that says “May your journey be full of happiness”.
Whenever I go to an art exhibition, as much as I try very hard to focus on everything, usually my attention is given to a selection of particular art pieces that speak to me. I can’t remember ever being so focused, reading all the captions and looking at all the art pieces in detail, like I did in the CLAMP Exhibition. I have waited years for an opportunity like this and I wanted to seize it since I knew it might take a very long time before I have this opportunity again—in fact, CLAMP have stated in their official podcast that this might have been the very last time that their real manuscripts were displayed as they are worried that moving them around might compromise their integrity.
Speaking of reading captions, I want to touch on the multilingual aspect of the exhibition. All texts were translated to English, including the caption for each manuscript. The only exception was the interview, which was only available in Japanese. The audio guide was available in English, Korean and Chinese in addition to Japanese (which was narrated by voice actor Fukuyama Jun, who has voiced several CLAMP characters, most famously Watanuki in the anime adaptations of xxxHolic). As a foreigner and someone who cannot speak Japanese fluently, I could have a much more inclusive experience thanks to the English translations. It made me feel seen and like I was part of a community. This shouldn’t be taken for granted as it is not a common practice for exhibitions in Japan, unfortunately. On this same trip, I also had the chance of visiting a Ito Junji exhibition and going to the Sailor Moon Museum in Nagoya, but neither of those were as bilingual as CLAMP’s. I do not know whether this is a standard policy of exhibitions held at The National Art Center or a demand that came directly from CLAMP, considering their international appeal, but it was definitely the right decision. I visited the exhibition a total of five times and in all of them I could identify non-Japanese visitors who may have benefitted from the translations in order to have a better experience at the exhibition.
Public attendance numbers were impressive. Over 250,000 people visited the exhibition during its 72 days run (3,472 visitors a day on average), which is more than the 200,000 visitors for the exhibition dedicated to the French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent that was also held at The National Art Center in 2023.
Going forward, an adapted version of the exhibition with a selection of artworks is planned to travel to different cities in Japan, which is being called as CLAMP Exhibition -SELECTION-. In order to preserve the integrity of the original manuscripts, only reproductions will be on display. The first city to host the “-SELECTION-” variation of the exhibition will be Osaka, from November 2024 to January 2025. Other cities in Japan are expected to follow and seeing how the Cardcaptor Sakura Exhibition – the Enchanted Museum is still traveling around several cities outside Japan in Asia, there is a chance that the CLAMP Exhibition -SELECTION- variation will follow the same path.
This exhibition was long overdue. CLAMP have been consistently creating hit manga and anime for over 35 years that have influenced millions of people around the world and the fact that they are a collective of four women needs to be overly acknowledged and celebrated. In fact, perhaps that’s the very reason why they are so successful.
This exhibition’s whopping catalog made of 800 pieces is only a small fraction of CLAMP’s impressive track record, but it’s a fair representation of how talented and competent they are. I sincerely hope it will help even more people to get to know CLAMP and their works and allow themselves to be blown away by their compelling stories, strong characters and breathtaking art.
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