Purple Magazine
— Purple #43 S/S 2025
The Tokyo Diary Issue
takashi murakami
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Takashi Murakami, embodiment of “um,” 2014, fiber-reinforced plastic, stainless steel, zelkova wood, and acrylic
portrait by Claire Dorn, courtesy of perrotin
Takashi Murakami, rakuchÅ«-rakugai-zu byÅbu: iwasa matabei rip (detail), 2023-2024, acrylic and gold leaf on canvas mounted on wood panel, in two parts, 9 feet 10 1⁄8 inches x 42 feet 10 7⁄8 inches, courtesy of gagosian, photo Joshua White
Takashi Murakami, octopus parent and children, 2023-2024, acrylic on canvas mounted on wood panel, 24 5/8 x 19 3/8 inches, courtesy of perrotin
interview
by JÉRÔME SANS
The renowned Japanese artist Takashi Murakami introduced his Superflat manifesto in 2000 in the catalogue for a group exhibition of the same name, which he curated at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. His art theory suggests a legacy of flat, two-dimensional imagery in Japanese…