About

Takashi Murakami (村上 隆, Murakami Takashi, born February 1, 1962) is a Japanese

contemporary artist. Takashi is an artist known for blurring the boundary between fine and
commercial art. Often categorized alongside historic and contemporary artists working in the
tradition of Pop Art, such as Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, and Jeff Koons, Murakami's work
has achieved a widespread level of fame beyond the art world. His innovative “Superflat”
aesthetic—combining classical Japanese art with contemporary Japanese pop culture—has
led many to consider him one of the most innovative artists working today. Exploring the
links between traditional printmaking techniques and Japanese manga in postwar society,
Murakami’s art acts as a cultural barometer with subversive undertones and imagery. “My
aesthetic sense was formed at a young age by what surrounded me: the narrow residential
spaces of Japan and the mental escapes from those spaces that took the forms of manga and
anime,” he reflected. Born on February 1, 1962 in Tokyo, Japan, where he continues to live
and work, Murakami has embraced commerce through the founding of Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd.,
an artist management agency and studio based in both New York and Munich. With his
popular collaboration with the fashion label Louis Vuitton, Murakami has established himself
as a pioneer of promoting art as a brand. In 2007, Murakami provided the cover artwork for
rapper Kanye West's album Graduation. The artist’s work has been the subject of numerous
exhibitions around the world, include those held at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, Gagosian
Gallery in London, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, and the Versailles Palace.
Artwork

[1] An Homage to Monopink 1960

[2] Mr. DOB

[3] AMERICA TOO by

Takashi Murakami & Virgil
Abloh
References

[1] www.artsy.net. (n.d.). Takashi Murakami | An homage to monopink, 1960 A (2012) |

Artsy. [online] Available at: https://www.artsy.net/artwork/takashi-murakami-an-homage-to-
monopink-1960-a-24 [Accessed 17 Nov. 2022].

[2] www.artsy.net. (n.d.). Takashi Murakami | Mr. DOB (2016) | Available for Sale | Artsy.
[online] Available at: https://www.artsy.net/artwork/takashi-murakami-mr-dob-95.

[3] Gagosian. (2018). Murakami & Abloh: ‘AMERICA TOO’, Beverly Hills, October 10–25,
2018. [online] Available at: https://gagosian.com/exhibitions/2018/murakami-abloh-america-
too/ [Accessed 17 Nov. 2022].