What did wartime comics look like eighty years ago? Not the glossy superhero issues we know today, but bold black-and-white woodcuts, lines cut deep like scars, each stroke carrying the weight of survival.

01 Art as a weapon

The exhibition, With Pen as a Knife: Guangdong Wartime Comics and Woodcut Prints, at Guancheng Art Museum brings together nearly a hundred works of wartime woodcut and comic art, especially those born in Guangdong.

Exhibition Info 

Title: With Pen as a Knife: Guangdong Wartime Comics and Woodcut Prints 

Venue: Guancheng Art Museum (莞城美术馆) 

Dates: August 28 - November 9 Admission: Free (closed Mondays)

The idea of "using the pen as a knife" was championed by writer Lu Xun, who believed woodcut prints could serve as sharp daggers against oppression. Unlike oil paintings or sculptures, woodcuts were cheap to make and easy to spread, perfect for wartime propaganda.

Young artists across China picked up carving knives, producing prints that depicted battles, families torn apart, and the determination of ordinary people. These works were both visual records and calls to action. 

These images, simple yet powerful, were created not just to tell stories but to rally a nation. In a time when China was engulfed in flames of resistance, artists used their knives and ink as weapons, carving courage onto wooden boards and printing it for the people.

02 Voices from Guangdong

Located on China's southern frontline, Guangdong became a stronghold of cultural resistance during the nation's darkest hours. Here, wartime comics and woodcut prints flourished, transforming art into a fortress of spirit and determination. 

One of the most influential figures was Chen Yanqiao, born in Dongguan's Guanlan village. Encouraged by the great writer Lu Xun, Chen took up woodcut art and soon became his disciple. He is remembered as one of the very first pioneers of China's modern printmaking movement.

In 1936, Chen created Memories of January 28, a series of works that portrayed the brutality of invasion, the suffering of victims, and the bittersweet farewells of soldiers departing for the front lines. His close relationship with Lu Xun was remarkable. Over the years they exchanged books and artworks nearly fifty times, with Lu Xun responding in at least 26 letters. A master calligrapher as well, Chen’s handwriting still lives on today: the word "Zhonghua" on the iconic cigarette brand is his creation.

Another powerful and unforgettable piece of wartime art came in 1935, when Li Hua, a young artist from Panyu, carved Roar, China!, a landmark in modern Chinese art. The print shows a blindfolded youth struggling to break free from his bonds, hand reaching for a dagger. The raw energy of the figure symbolized a nation’s unbreakable will to fight back.

Also on view is The Last Bullet by Huang Yan of Xingning, a monumental work completed in 1943 after a full year of effort. It depicts a soldier leaning against a shattered tree, firing his final shot at the enemy amid smoke and fire on the battlefield. When shown abroad, the piece moved audiences from London to New Delhi, becoming a powerful voice in the global anti-fascist struggle. One collector even paid twelve pounds for it in London, a striking contrast to the usual $2.50 price of Chinese prints at the time.

Alongside them, artists such as Liao Bingxiong, Liang Baibo, and Huang Xinbo all carved their emotions directly into wood. With stark, uncompromising lines, they transformed their anguish and hope into a visual arsenal that spoke for an entire generation.

03 Immersive storytelling

The exhibition isn't just about looking at prints, it's about stepping into history. Visitors can play the role of wartime couriers, reliving secret missions through Dongguan's underground resistance network.

One highlight recounts how local fighters risked everything to rescue a U.S. pilot shot down near Hong Kong in 1944. His drawings and letters, on display here, reveal a remarkable story of cross-cultural solidarity in the fight against fascism.

There are also spaces to leaf through classic comic book reprints, watch old films like Railway Guerrilla and The Eternal Wave, or even try your own hand at inking a woodblock print.

These works are more than art, they are voices carved into wood, carrying the spirit of a generation who chose to fight with ink and blade when guns were scarce.