Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art
3 February 2023 – 1 September 2024
A major solo exhibition of works by Takashi Murakami (b. 1962), a leading figure in contemporary art, will be held at the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art in celebration of its 90th anniversary. This marks Murakami’s first large-scale solo exhibition in Japan in nearly eight years and his first outside Tokyo. Although he has primarily built his career overseas, this exhibit offers a unique opportunity to experience his work in a new context.
The exhibition “Superflat,” curated and organized by Murakami, toured Japan and the U.S. from 2000 to 2001. Accompanied by the Superflat Manifesto, it made a significant impact on the contemporary art scene. The concept of Superflat bridges traditional Japanese art forms with modern popular culture, including anime, manga, and video games. It also examines postwar Japanese sensibilities and the interplay of capitalism, politics, and religion on a flattened plane. By incorporating these ideas into his creative process, Murakami produces a diverse array of works that question the value and meaning of art. His career can be seen as a continuous effort to challenge the dominance of Western values in the international art scene, offering fresh perspectives from a uniquely Japanese viewpoint.
The exhibition in Kyoto is particularly significant as the city has been a major hub for Edo period painters, a subject of great interest to Murakami since the beginning of his career. Kyoto remains a vibrant center for various forms of art and performance. Visitors can look forward to “Takashi Murakami Mononoke Kyoto,” an exhibition featuring approximately 170 works, mostly new, including newly painted masterpieces, notable series, and works being shown in Japan for the first time.
The exhibition will be on view from 3 February 2023 – 1 September 2024
