Takashi Murakami's Monster Kyoto Retrospective at Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum
The Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Arts is celebrating its 90th anniversary with an exhibition featuring over 170 pieces by Takashi Murakami, who was born in Tokyo in 1962. Titled Takashi Murakami Mononoke Kyoto, this showcase will be open until September 1, 2024. It marks Murakami's first retrospective in Japan in eight years and his debut outside Tokyo. Notable works include a 12-meter reinterpretation of Rakuchu Rakugai Zu Byobu, the Japanese premiere of Dragon in Clouds – Red Mutation (which exceeds 18 meters), and sculptures like Dragon Heads – Gold and DOB in the Strange Forest. Known for coining the term Superflat in 2000, Murakami merges Japanese art with anime while tackling socio-political themes. His global presence includes the 1995 Venice Biennale and exhibitions in 1999 and 2001.
Key facts
- Exhibition runs until September 1, 2024
- First Murakami retrospective in Japan in 8 years
- First Murakami retrospective outside Tokyo
- Over 170 works on display
- Features 12-meter reinterpretation of Iwasa Matabei's Rakuchu Rakugai Zu Byobu
- Dragon in Clouds – Red Mutation over 18 meters shown for first time in Japan
- DOB character introduced in 1993 as artist's alter ego
- Murakami coined Superflat in 2000
Entities
Artists
- Takashi Murakami
- Iwasa Matabei
Institutions
- Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Arts
- Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco
- Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
- Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo
- Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
- Biennale di Venezia
Locations
- Kyoto
- Japan
- Tokyo
- San Francisco
- Minneapolis
- Los Angeles
- Venice