Takashi Murakami

Often referred to as the “Andy Warhol of Japan”, Takashi Murakami's art fuses traditional Japanese art with pop culture, anime, and manga.  Murakami’s bold use of color and pattern have made his art instantly recognizable and widely popular. Murakami’s work often delves into themes of commercialism, cultural identity, and the impact of globalization, providing a commentary on the complexities of contemporary society. Murakami’s neon creations blur the line between high and low art, the west and the east and create dialogues between the present day and history. From a young age, Murakami was interested in manga, anime and otaku (a Japanese word that describes people with consuming interests, particularly in anime, manga, video games, or computers)  and as a child wanted to become an animator. Murakami brought these passions into his professional career which led him to create his signature “superflat” look for which he is best known. A term invented by the artist, “superflat” refers to what the artist sees as the flattened nature of Japanese visual culture whilst describing the merging of distinctly high and low culture. 

Loved across the world for his cute, vibrant and energetic characters including Mr. DOB, Kaikai and Kiki.and his bright, beaming flowers, Murakami employs a bold use of color, characters, pattern and contrast that has made his artworks instantly recognizable and widely popular amongst collectors. 

Murakami employs a variety of mediums across his print and painting output and often uses traditional techniques like offset and handmade, silkscreen printing and it is not unusual for an Murakami painting to have been created using thousands upon thousands of individual screens. Each Murakami print and painting reflects the artist’s meticulous, almost obsessive, attention to detail. From his studio, the KaiKai Kiki factory, Murakami has conquered not only the artworld but the fashion world too. His collaborations with Louis Vuitton in particular, lasting over two decades, exploded his popularity globally and put the artist in front of a new audience reflecting his commitment to breaking down the barriers between fine art and popular culture. 

Whether you are new to buying Takashi Murakami prints or an experienced collector, Guy Hepner can assist you. Since 2010, we have helped collectors around the world to buy Takashi Murakami prints and paintings. More recently, in 2024, we held a Takashi Murakami Exhibition that featured over 25 Takashi Murakami prints and originals reflecting our commitment to bringing the colourful, cartoon creations of Murakami to New York.