Takashi Murakami

Takashi Murakami (村上隆) is a Japanese artist born in Tokyo, Japan in 1963. Arguably the most well-known living Japanese contemporary artist, Murakami is a sculptor, painter, curator, theorist and entrepreneur. In addition to his large and varied body of artwork, he has also written books and articles on contemporary art.

Equal parts artist and businessman, Murakami has credited Micky Mouse and Bill Gates as influences. He created the Hiropon Factory (which he later incorporated under the name Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd.) as a factory not in the ironic Warhol sense, but in the true sense of the word - as a way to properly more quickly produce art to keep up with the demand for his work. He is also well-known for his brightly colored version of fashion brand Louis Vuitton's logo, a collaboration with Louis Vuitton creative director Marc Jacobs.

He has used his entrepreneurial skills to help publicize young artists through his biannual Geisai art fair. The first ten Geisai events were held at Tokyo, Japan and feature mostly Japanese artists. The eleventh Geisai is planned to be held in Miami in December 2007 to coincide with the Art Miami Basel fair.

Education

• 1986 - received BFA, Japanese Painting Course from Tokyo National University, Tokyo, Japan
• 1988 - received MFA, Graduate School of Fine Arts from Tokyo National University, Tokyo, Japan
• 1993 - received PhD, Graduate School of Fine Arts from Tokyo National University, Tokyo, Japan for his dissertation 'The meaning of the nonsense of the meaning'

Solo Exhibitions

• Solo Retrospective, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA, 2007
• Kaikai Kiki Exhibition, Aoi Gallery, Osaka, Japan, 2005
• Takashi Murakami Print Show, Mizuho Oshiro Gallery, Kagoshima, Japan, 2005
• T1: Takashi Murakami, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin, Italy, 2005
• Installation at Roppongi Hills, Tokyo, Japan, 2005
• Inochi, Blum & Poe, Los Angeles, CA, 2004
• Satoeri Ko² Chan, Tomio Koyama Gallery, Tokyo, 2004
• Reversed Double Helix, Rockefeller Center, New York, 2003
• Superflat Monogram, Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York, 2003
• Superflat Monogram, Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Paris, France, 2003
• Kaikai Kiki: Takashi Murakami, Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain, Paris & Serpentine Gallery, London, 2002
• summon monsters? open the door? heal? or die?, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Tokyo, 2001
• Made in Japan, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 2001
• WINK, Grand Central Station, New York, 2001
• Mushroom, Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York, 2001
• KaiKai Kiki, Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Paris, France, 2001
• Second Mission Project Ko2, P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, Long Island City, New York, 2000
• KaiKai Kiki: SUPERFLAT, ISSEY MIYAKE MEN, Tokyo, 2000
• 727, Blum & Poe, Santa Monica, CA, 2000
• The Meaning of the Nonsense of the Meaning, Center for Curatorial Studies Museum, Bard College, 1999
• curated by Amada Cruz and Dana Friis-Hansen, New York (catalogue), 1999
• Love & DOB, Gallery KOTO, Okayama, Japan, 1999
• Superflat, Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York, 1999
• Dob's Adventures in Wonderland, Parco Gallery, Tokyo, 1999
• Moreover, DOB Raise His Hand, Sagacho bis, Tokyo, 1998
• Back Beat: Superflat, Tomio Koyama Gallery, Tokyo, 1998
• Back Beat, Blum & Poe, Santa Monica, California, 1998
• Hiropon Project KoKo?Pity Sakurako Jet Airplane Nos. 1-6, Feature Inc., New York, 1998
• Blum & Poe, Santa Monica, California, 1997
• Gallery KOTO, Okayama, Japan, 1997
• Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Paris, France, 1997
• New York State University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, 1997
• A Very Merry Unbirthday, To You, To Me!, Ginza Komatsu, Tokyo, 1996
• 727, Aoi Gallery, Osaka, Japan, 1996
• Konnichiwa, Mr. DOB, Kirin Art Plaza, Osaka, Japan, 1996
• 727, Tomio Koyama Gallery, Tokyo, 1996
• Gallery Koto, Okayama, Japan, 1996, 1996
• Gavin Brown's Enterprise, New York, 1996
• Feature Inc., New York, 1996
• Mr. Doomsday Balloon, Yngtingagatan 1, Stockholm, Sweden, 1995
• Crazy Z, SCAI The Bathhouse, Tokyo, 1995
• Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Paris, France, 1995
• NIJI, Gallery Koto, Okayama, 1995
• Fujisan, Gallery Koto, Okayama, 1994
• Which is Tomorrow?—Fall in Love, SCAI The Bathhouse, Tokyo, 1994
• Azami, Kikyou, Ominaeshi, Aoi Gallery, Osaka, Japan, 1994
• Nasubi Gallery, Tokyo, 1993
• A Very Merry Unbirthday!, Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Hiroshima, Japan, 1993
• A Romantic Evening, Gallery Cellar, Nagoya, Japan, 1993
• Wild, Wild, Rontgen Kunst Institut, Tokyo, 1992
• Art Gallery at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, Tokyo, 1991
• Aoi Gallery, Osaka, 1991
• One Night Exhibition 8.23, Rontgen Kunst Institut, Tokyo, 1991
• Gallery Aires, Tokyo, 1991
• I Am Against Being For It, Gallery Hosomi Contemporary, Tokyo, 1991
• Café Tiens! Tokyo, 1989
• Gallery Ginza Surugadai, Tokyo, 1989

Curated Exhibitions

• Little Boy at Japan Society, New York 2005
• Tokyo Girls Bravo at Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York, 2004
• Chiho Aoshima, Mr. and Aya Takano for Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin at LFL Gallery, New York, 2004
• Coloriage, Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain, Paris, 2002
• Hiropon Show, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Tokyo, 2001
• Superflat, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Henry Art Gallery, Seattle, 2000
• Superflat, Parco Gallery, Tokyo, 2000
• Aya Takano Solo Exhibition: Hot Banana Fudge, NADiff, Tokyo, 2000
• Hiropon 32.80, NADiff, Tokyo, 1999
• Hiropon Show, Parco Gallery, Nagoya, Japan, 1999
• Tokyo Girls Bravo, George's, Los Angeles, 1999
• Tokyo Girls Bravo, NADiff, Tokyo, 1999
• Hiropon Show, Parco Gallery, Tokyo, 1999
• Mr. Solo Exhibition: Oh-Edo Kunoichi Ninpocho, Shop 33, Tokyo, 1998
• Ero Pop Tokyo, George's, Los Angeles, 1998
• Aya Takano Solo Exhibition: God is Coming, Shop 33, Tokyo, 1997
• Hiropon Show, Kanazawa College of Arts Manken Gallery, Ishikawa, Japan, 1997
• Hiropon Show, Iwataya Z-SIDE W&LT, Fukuoka, Tokyo, 1997
• Tokyo Sex, NAS, Tokyo, 1997
• Hiropon Show, Shop 33, Tokyo, 1997
• Mr. Solo Exhibition: Frone & Perrine, Shop 33, Tokyo, 1996
• PICO 2 SHOW, Saga-cho bis, Tokyo, 1996

Awards

• Visiting Professor, School of Art and Architecture, UCLA, Los Angeles, 1998
• Asian Cultural Council Fellowship, P.S.1 International Studio Program, 1994-95
• Special Award, 46th Japan Fashion Editor Club (FEC) Awards, 2003
• Tag Heuer Business Award, 2004
• Les Compagnons du Beaujolais, Honorary Knighthood, 2004
• Japan Society Imajiné Award, 2005
• 11th AMD Awards, Prize of Recognition, 2006
• Best Thematic Museum Show in New York, AICA USA, 2006
• Heisei 17 (56th) Educational Minister Rookie of the Year, Awarded by the Agency for Cultural Affairs for the Advancement of Art, 2006

Publications

Galleries

• Aoi Gallery, Osaka, Japan
• Blum & Poe, Los Angeles, CA, USA
• Gagosian Gallery, Beverly Hills, CA, USA
• Gallery Koto, Okayama, Japan
• Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Paris, France
• Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York, NY, USA
• Nasubi Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
• SCAI The Bathhouse, Tokyo, Japan
• Tomio Koyama Gallery, Tokyo, Japan

External Links

• TakashiMurakami.com (English)
• Kaikai Kiki Murakami biography (English/Japanese)