Takeshi Murakami is a Japanese contemporary artist. Murakami dapples in fine art media; sculpture, paintings, fashion and animation. A graduate of Tokyo University of the Arts, he majored in the traditional Japanese art of Nihonga.
The founding member of the “Superflat” movement, Murakami coined the term to describe his artwork. It refers to flattened forms of cartoons and graphics, depicting modern Japanese culture.
Murakami’s work is strongly influenced by his interest in manga and anime. An innovative and original artist, he fuses elements of manga and anime with traditional Japanese techniques, blending techniques of different eras. The result is profound. He produces works that are aesthetically bold and overwhelming, and that leave a lasting impression on the mind. His artwork has a futuristic feel. Murakami’s use of potent, vibrant and psychedelic colours create the idea of an alternate reality within our own, highlighting how alien different cultures and different eras in time can be.
Murakami’s talents extend to popular culture. He has collaborated with Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton, contributing artwork to their designs, successfully combining high art and haute couture. He also designed the album cover and graphics for Kanye West’s “Graduation” album. Murakami has collaborated with Pharrell Williams to create a sculpture, commenting on the symbolism of the sculpture, Williams stated that it “illustrates the metaphor of value”.
To delve further into Murakami’s works can be viewed in his many books including: “Geijutsu Tosoron” and “Geijutsu Kigyoron”.
-Hannah Redmond
