Takahashi Murakami

Takahashi Murakami was one of the many artists that I was able to relate to my life. My interests in Japanese pop culture led me to Murakami’s arts, as well as the singer Kanye West for using his artwork in one of his music video. Murakami brings the art that resembles Japan and its eccentric culture.

Takahashi Murakami is a contemporary artist who works in both fine art and digital art. He is famous for his themes from mass media and pop culture. When he was studying art, he pursued his art into anime and manga like style, and as a result, created his own personal style called “superflat.” Murakami made “superflat” to aim for creating a new culture in Japan. He believes that Japanese arts is too shallow and low to be worldly known, and thus has created this new personal style to market and promote overseas.

Like Andy Warhol, Murakami takes low culture and remakes it, and sells his work to the high-art market. His art is commercial, but indifferently, Murakami sells his work in high fashion stores like Louis Vuitton. The pattern that Murakami creates brings out a stylish aurora that everyone can carry around. Murakami wishes to change the perspective of art- almost like promoting music. Believing in branding his artworks, Murakami states, "I don’t think of it as straddling. I think of it as changing the line. What I’ve been talking about for years is how in Japan, that line is less defined. Both by the culture and by the post-War economic situation. Japanese people accept that art and commerce will be blended; and in fact, they are surprised by the rigid and pretentious Western hierarchy of ‘high art.’ In the West, it certainly is dangerous to blend the two because people will throw all sorts of stones. But that's okay—I’m ready with my hard hat."

One example of popular Murakami painting is “Smooth Nightmare.” This piece is one of his superflat styles. The repetition of his comical mushrooms creates a connection with cultures, mainly scored for marketing. I did assume that his artworks mainly did not focus on messages; however, his works are very intriguing for people who do not really like art. It is very commercial and eye catching because it is so trendy and popular with pop culture. People notice his art right away because of the connection between what we see and hear in the television No wonder everyone desires to have his works!