Takashi Murakami's First Canadian Retrospective at Vancouver Art Gallery

The Vancouver Art Gallery opened the first Canadian retrospective of Takashi Murakami on February 3, 2018, titled 'The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg,' running until May 6, 2018. The exhibition traces Murakami's career from the 1980s, featuring his early Nihonga works—traditional Japanese painting using mineral pigments—reinterpreted for contemporary themes like nuclear dangers and consumerism. It covers the 1990s development of his Superflat concept, which blends classical painting techniques with bright colors to depict pop culture, anime, and otaku characters in a flat pictorial space, including his iconic Mr. DOB creature. Later works show a return to tradition in response to the 2011 Japanese tsunami, incorporating Buddhist-inspired Arhat figures—monk-like beings meant to console and enlighten humanity. The show includes new site-specific works. The title derives from an ancient Japanese parable about an octopus eating its own legs to survive, symbolizing Murakami's practice of consuming and regenerating tradition, culture, and history.