Last updated: 27 October 2026
Takashi Murakami is the Tokyo artist behind Superflat, the smiling flowers and cartoon characters that bridge fine art and pop culture. Here you will find our take on his work, his shows and his books.
Our take on Takashi Murakami
Murakami was born in Tokyo in 1962 and earned a PhD at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in 1993, according to Gagosian. He is based in Tokyo and New York.
His idea of Superflat flattened the line between high art, anime and commerce. “It has already been 26 years since I introduced the concept of Superflat in 2000,” he said, announcing his Sydney retrospective with the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
Recent shows have traced his work back to Japanese woodblock prints, including Hark Back to Ukiyo-e at Perrotin in Los Angeles in 2026.
Takashi Murakami: the essentials
- Born in Tokyo in 1962; based in Tokyo and New York.
- PhD from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, 1993.
- Showed a solo exhibition called Superflat at Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York, in 1999.
- Represented by Gagosian and Perrotin.
Takashi Murakami exhibitions
- Coming up: Takashi Murakami: When the Mountain Is High, the Moon Rises Higher, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 5 December 2026 to 18 July 2027.
- Hark Back to Ukiyo-e: Tracing Superflat to Japonisme’s Genesis, Perrotin, Los Angeles, 2026.
- Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow, Cleveland Museum of Art, 2025.
- We found no current UK exhibition.
Where to buy Takashi Murakami books
Perrotin’s online store, based in Paris and priced in euros, sells Murakami books and objects:
- Mononoke Kyoto, €85.31: the 272-page hardback catalogue of his 2024 Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art show, from Perrotin.
Takashi Murakami FAQs
What is Superflat?
Takashi Murakami’s term for art that flattens the difference between fine art, anime and commercial culture. He introduced it around 2000.
Where is Takashi Murakami’s next big show?
At the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney, from 5 December 2026 to 18 July 2027.
Where is Takashi Murakami from?
Tokyo, where he was born in 1962.
More from CoolCuration
- Gifts for Japan lovers: our edit for anyone who loves Japanese design.
- Great Art Explained: James Payne’s guide to how famous works were made.
- Best affordable art in the UK: where to start collecting prints.
- Gifts for artists: our edit of presents for people who make things.
Think we’re missing something, got something wrong, or want to be featured? Contact us.
Main image: Takashi Murakami, Versailles, 2010. Photo: Sodacan via Wikimedia Commons, public domain. Cropped and framed by CoolCuration. Exhibition dates and prices last checked: 27 October 2026.
No Comments.