2. Biographical Info.
• Born and raised in Tokyo
• Arguably the most famous
Japanese artist of all time
• Painter, Sculptor – But also
works in fashion, merchandise, +
animation
• Coined the term “Superflat”
• Widely considered to have
among most desired art in the
world
• “Andy Warhol of Japan”
• Incorporated his operations at
KaiKai KiKi Co. Ltd. Located in
Tokyo, NY, and LA.
3. Biographical Info. (Cont’d)
• As a child, avid follower of anime + manga
- (pg. 55 purple book)
• Attended Tokyo University of the Arts –
eventually receiving a Ph. D. in Nihonga –
but still maintained his passion for
contemporary culture
• Felt disappointed with contemporary art in
Japan – sought to create his own artistic
style
• To do this, he would first establish himself
as an artist in the Western world, then
import himself back to Japan, bringing with
him a rejuvenated art market.
• This art market would not only maintain its
“Japaneseness”, but also be valid
internationally.
4. • Artistic movement founded by Murakami Takashi, has become
an inspiration for many of today’s anime and manga artists
• The “Superflat” has also gained attention in the U.S.
• Murakami Takashi’s definition
• Another definition (pg. 71 purple book)
5. Mr. DOB
• Created in 1993
• Murakami’s primary signature
characters – others signatures
included mushrooms, smiling
flowers, Buddhist icons, sexual
complexes of otaku culture, and
more.
• “alter ego” of Murakami
• Circular head –Letter ‘D’ on left
ear, ‘B’ on right ear, face the shape
of an ‘O’ – Hence, D.O.B.
• DOB also comes from the saying
“dobojite, dobojite, oshamanbe!”
which he used in much of his work.
(pg. 31 purple book)
8. Mushrooms!!
• Title - “Army of
Mushrooms”
• 2003
• Why Murakami uses so
many mushrooms in
his work??
• 6ft X 6ft acrylic paint
on wood canvas
• Over 400 variations of
mushrooms in his art
10. “Mr. BIG Mushroom”, 2011
• 2011
• 83 inches
tall! :0
• Highly polished
metallic penis,
coated with
aluminum and
gold leaf
• Thoughts??
11. Smiling Flowers!!!
• 2001-2006
• Made of fibreglass,
iron, acrylic plates,
lacquer, oil paint, and
resin
• Displayed in Palace of
Versailles – A big deal
in Japan and for artists
alike!
• Over 10 ft. tall
• 3rd contemporary artist
to have work displayed
here
• FIRST Japanese artist
to ever have an exhibit
“Flower Matango” in Versailles.
13. Kaikai Kiki News
• 2002
• 47in X 47in
• Named after Takashi’s
company
• Modified version
featured on Google to
celebrate the Summer
Solstice in 2011
• (pg. 148 purple book)
14.
15. Buddhist Icons
• Oval Buddha Gold
• 2007-2010
• 22 feet tall!
• Made of bronze, gold leaf
plated
• One side features a smiling
face, and the other a more
menacing look – a feature
present in many of his
works
• Smaller silver version built
– 18 ½ ft. tall and 6,613 lbs.
16.
17. “Dragon in the Clouds”
• 2010
• Two 60ft. gigantic
paintings – “Red
mutation”, “Indigo
Blue”
• Both comprise of 9
panels
18.
19.
20. Sexual Complexes of Otaku Culture
• Miss Ko2
• 1997
• Life-size (74 inches)
• Displayed in Palace of
Versailles
• Sold at auction for
$567,500!!
21.
22. “Hiropon”
• 1997
• 81 inches
• Feature a female
anime character,
mid-skip, with
enormous
lactating breasts
forming a jump
rope
• Sold at auction for
$427,500!!
• Thoughts?
23.
24. “My Lonesome Cowboy”
• 1998
• Definitely one of Takashi’s more
controversial pieces
• 9 ½ ft. tall
• Features a masturbating male
anime character whose semen
swirls around him like a lasso.
(pg 71 purple book)
• Sold at auction for $15.2
million!!!
25.
26. Why is Murakami Takashi’s art so
expensive?
• As you can see from the detail of his art, the
materials are very expensive, and the labor is
very difficult and time consuming.
• His expenses are very high
• He employs about 200 people for his
operations
• He even lives in a small apartment, doesn’t
live the life of a famous artist
27. Recent Works
• In 2002 Murakami
started designing
bags for Louis
Vuitton fashion
brand
• Very expensive –
made with exotic
skins
• Designed an entire
series still available
today
28. Collaborations
In 2007, Murakami
provided cover artwork
for rapper Kanye West’s
Graduation album
29. Art for Sale, Current Exhibitions
• Much of Murakami’s artwork is for sale online (but quite expensive)
• Feb. 2012 – opened an exhibition in Doha, Qatar – Murakami-Ego
• Gagosian Gallery Exhibition in Hong Kong in 2013
• His artwork has also been, or is displayed in Rome, Brooklyn, and the
Palace of Versailles
