One of the most internationally acclaimed artists to emerge from Asia in the postwar era, Takashi Murakami effortlessly navigates between the worlds of fine art and popular culture and is best known for his cartoon-like, “superflat” style. This major traveling retrospective includes key selections spanning the artist’s career, from the early 1990s to the present. More than 90 works in various media—painting, sculpture, installation, and film—are installed in five sections, occupying over 35,000 square feet of exhibition space. The first portion features many of Murakami’s acclaimed large-scale otaku-inspired sculptural figures from the late 1990s. The second section comprises a grid-like shelving display of Murakami’s merchandise. A fully operational Louis Vuitton boutique, showcasing the artist’s collaboration with the designer brand, is on the mezzanine level. The largest portion of the exhibition traces Murakami’s artistic development, including early works that engage branding and the evolution of his signature character, DOB. Of particular importance, is the debut of Oval Buddha, an enormous self-portrait sculpture in the guise of a Buddha, and the premiere of part one of the artist’s first major animated film, kaikai & kiki. New installments of kaikai & kiki will continue at the exhibition tour venues.

© MURAKAMI is organized by MOCA Chief Curator Paul Schimmel with Project Coordinator Mika Yoshitake.