Contemporary Asian Art Submission ART262, Prof. F. Sigman

1. Takashi Murakami
Contemporary Japanese Artist

2. Biography
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Born on February 1, 1962 in Itabashi,
Tokyo, Japan.
Received his BFA, MFA and PhD from the
Tokyo University of the Arts.
Coined the term Superflat, which is a
highly refined classical style used to
emphasize modern styles on a more-orless flat viewing plane.
Is a multimedia artist, and has work in
painting, sculpture, and animation.
He founded the Hiropon Factory in Tokyo
in 1996, which later evolved into Kaikai
Kiki, an art production and art
management corporation (Gagosian
Gallery).

3. Who's Afraid of Red,
Yellow, Blue and Death,
2010
Acrylic on canvas on
aluminum frame
118 x 92 1/2 inches (299.7 x
235 cm)
Although the skulls
illustrated have a cartoonlike quality, he was able to
lay them out in a visually
pleasing manner.

4. Self-Portrait of the
Manifold Worries
of a Manifoldly
Distressed Artist,
2012
Acrylic on canvas
mounted on board
59 x 59
inches (150 x 150
cm)

5. Flower Ball (3-D),
Kindergarten, 2007
Acrylic and silver gold
leaf on canvas mounted
on board
39 1/2 inches diameter
(100.3 cm)
One can see how
Murakami earned his
title as the Japanese
Andy Warhol through
his use of vibrant colors
and repetitive uses of
images and patterns
(Britannica).

6. Oval Buddha
Takashi Murakami
2007
Aluminum, platinum leaf
5680 x 3190 x 3100 mm
Courtesy Blum & Poe, Los Angeles

7. “Superflat First Love.”
Working to advertise for Louis Vuitton, Murakami uses his stylized illustrations
and brings them to life through bright colors and lively animation.

8. Flame of Desire - Gold, 2013
*Medium to be confirmed
Height: 187 inches (475
centimeters)
©2013 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki
Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Image courtesy of the artist and
Blum & Poe, Los Angeles
His sculptures leave viewers
awestruck. They have a presence
of an otherworldly variety, and
gives much to ponder upon.

9. Red Demon and Blue Demon with 48 Arhats, 2013
Acrylic, gold and platinum leaf on canvas mounted on board
Five panels; 118 1/8 x 39 3/8 inches each (300 x 100 centimeters)
118 1/8 x 196 7/8 inches overall (300 x 500 centimeters)

10. Pom & Me:
Sprouting a Tree
from My Head, 2013
Acrylic on canvas
mounted on board
39 3/8 x 39 3/8
inches (100 x 100
centimeters)
Comical and
sometimes simple,
he is able to find a
happy medium
between tradition
and contemporary
subjects.

11. 4 Arhats, One With Four
Eyes, 2013
Acrylic on canvas
mounted on board
39 3/8 x 39 3/8 inches
(100 x 100 centimeters)
According to his KaiKai
KiKi bio, “Murakami uses
his deep understanding
of Western art to
integrate his work into its
structure; working from
the inside to portray
‘Japanese-ness’ as a tool
to bring about revolution
in the world of art.”

12. Reversed Double Helix, 2003
Photo by Tom Powel
Organized by Public Art
Fund and Tishman Speyer
Properties
Presented by Target Stores
Courtesy: Marianne Boesky
Gallery

13. And Then, And Then And
Then And Then And Then
(Blue), 1996
Acrylic on canvas mounted
on board
300 x 300cm
Courtesy Blum & Poe, LA

14. Why Look into the work of Murakami?
• He successfully made created a bridge
between traditional Japanese art and modern
contemporary art.
• Also made cartoon-like subjects and
animation a part of the fine art world.
• He is an artist, curator, product designer,
theorist, and entrepreneur (Britannica). He
pushes the limits as an individual and explores
the ways art can be expressed at an incredible
manner.

15. Citation
"Takashi Murakami." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia
Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica
Inc., 2013. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.
<http://www.britannica.com.ezproxy.library.csn.edu/EB
checked/topic/1107655/Murakami-Takashi>
"Takashi Murakami." Gagosian Gallery. Gagosian Gallery, n.d.
Web. 27 Sept 2013.
<http://www.gagosian.com/artists/takashi-murakami>.
"Artists: Takashi Murakami." KaiKai Kiki Co., Ltd.. KaiKai KiKi
Co., Ltd., n.d. Web. 27 Sept 2013.
<http://english.kaikaikiki.co.jp/artists/list/C4/>.