DOB DOB, 1996 represents one of the earliest and most critical sculptural articulations of Takashi Murakami’s foundational character, Mr. DOB. Conceived during the formative years of his Superflat theory, this unique sculpture translates the artist’s graphic alter ego into a fully volumetric presence, collapsing distinctions between painting, animation, product design, and fine art object. Mr. DOB—at once mascot, monogram, and self-portrait—functions here not merely as a character, but as a conceptual device through which Murakami examines authorship, commodification, and the mechanics of cultural production.

The sculpture’s exaggerated anatomy and hyper-polished surface embody Murakami’s synthesis of high-gloss commercial fabrication with art-historical rigor. Rendered in saturated blue with sharply defined facial features, the work oscillates between playful cartoon aesthetics and something more unsettling. Multiple faces and distorted proportions destabilize the character’s otherwise familiar form, introducing a psychological edge that complicates its apparent charm. The repetition of the “D” and “B” forms reinforces the logo-like structure of the figure, underscoring Murakami’s early understanding of branding as an artistic strategy.