Takashi Murakami has built one of the most impressive bodies of work in the art world today. He is a rare breed of artist, able to merge the high, medium and lowbrow without sacrificing the pleasures or value of either.

He invented the Superflat style, the name describing both the look and philosophy of his art. The theory draws out the common threads of the Japanese tradition — from Hokusai to Miyasaki, from Ukiyo-e to Gundam. His work points to the compression of all these forms into a single post-war Japanese culture. The Superflat style that informs the artist’s output revels in bright colors and cartoon rendering, while expressing complex notions of class and the contours of pop-culture. There is but so much more to this influential artist than meets the eye, look below for some little-known facts and antidotes, and take a glimpse into his wonderous universe.

Mr. DOB is Murakami’s first ever iconic character, inspired by long-loved characters such as Mickey Mouse and Pikachu. Die-hard Murakami fans are avid collectors of this mouse-eared creature which boasts a D on the right ear, O as the face, and a B on the left. The use of this avatar for Murakami inside his own work pushes many of his pieces into new and interesting places.

Part of Murakami’s genius is his ability to weave historical legacies through cutesy images, creating dark undertones. A little-known fact is that this artistic expression has ultimately been inspired by his own personal history. His family’s hometown was slated for an atomic bomb attack by US forces near the end of World War II, however, since the sky was too cloudy on the day of the airstrike, the city was spared.

That connection has driven Murakami to focus on the collective nuclear trauma in Japanese culture throughout the 20th century and beyond.

In sculpture work such as his 1999-piece DOB in the Strange Forest (Blue DOB), Murakami places his alter ego in a strange land of cartoon mushrooms (in place of mushroom clouds) — borrowing the shape while forfeiting the full image. It’s a profound commentary on how the legacy of the event is everywhere and yet never fully confronted.

The Fukushima disaster in 2011 reawakened the themes of disaster in Japan, and Murakami responded with the series The 500 Arhats. Made up of large, glittering panels, the artist depicts aging Buddhist arhats as grotesque figures. He calls it a “self portrait of Japan,” asking serious questions about a culture that has not escaped the nuclear threat and has turned away from spiritual seriousness.

Versailles was built under the order of King Louis the XIV in 1682. Inside its walls are tremendous works of art including the best in French architecture, priceless sculptures, and luscious paintings. It was here, in one of the most important cultural heritage sites on Earth, that Murakami held his 2010 retrospective exhibit.

Treating Versailles as a relic from a fantasy wonderland of an imagined feudal France, Murakami brought his anime style sculptures into the many salons and halls. The result is one of the greatest works in cultural juxtaposition.

The forms of art and fashion has always been inevitably intertwined, one takes inspiration from the other. It is no secret that fashion designers find themselves naturally drawn to art, and art itself, can be found in many wonderous couture pieces. Murakami was one of the first revolutionary artists to embrace and successfully delve into this sort of collaboration, paving the way for other artists to do so in the contemporary world.

In 2003, Marc Jacobs, moved by Murakami’s work, sought him out for one of the first ever successful artistic collaborations between art and fashion. Together, they painted a canvas and iconic characters for Vuitton to create new icons that evoked the spirit of Murakami. This long and fruitful collaboration, involved Murakami deconstructing the Louis Vuitton logo into a playful, resplendent anime dream world and even creating an adorable designer QR code for the brand.

Murakami’s Monogram Multicolore became such an iconic look for Louis Vuitton that they ‘wrapped’ their flagship 5th Avenue flagship store with a vinyl installation design covered with this print during their Christmas campaign in 2008. While Murakami’s Cherry Blossoms and Characters brought about a livelier, colorful and animated version of the classic fashion house logo, his Monogramouflage design gave it an edgier streetwear contemporary feel.

Murakami’s colorful anime style also attracted streetwear label Vans, who approached him to make a limited-edition series of classic slip-ons and skateboard decks. Murakami’s motifs of skulls and flowers design became an instant streetwear trend.

Recently in 2019, following the success of his new series of works showcasing the Japanese anime character Doraemon, Murakami produced a line of Murakami X Doraemon T-shirts for the mass market Japanese retailer, UNIQLO.

Released in 2013, Jellyfish Eyes is a fantasy film directed by Murakami with the colorful imagery that we have come to expect from its director. The story centers on school children who stumble upon new companions who look like real-life walking and talking cartoon characters known as F.R.I.E.N.D.s.

The F.R.I.E.N.D.s embark the children on a CGI-laden adventure that includes anime battles, monsters, and even an occult group in black robes. The backgrounds range from modern life, to ancient sites and finally to digital worlds. The story witnesses the imagination and naivety of children confronting the realities of a complex world continuously facing its own difficult history.

While the film received mixed reviews at release, it has been recognized for its unique style and themes — even earning a place in the Criterion Collection in 2015. Murakami has two sequels planned for the film despite the COVID-19 crisis.

Kaikai Kiki, Co. was founded in 2001 by Murakami. The goal of the corporation is to mentor, develop, and promote young artists using the platform Murakami built over his incredible career.

The organization runs two offices, one in Tokyo and one in Brooklyn, and hosts events in its galleries. As an institution, it ensures the development of the Superflat style, and it will likely continue to do so even after Murakami’s time.

The generosity of the organization highlights Murakami’s commitment to discovering young artists and paving the way for the next generation of artists. At 58, the artist has already grown into his role as an elder statesman of the art world; and it is fortunate to have him.

When Kanye West and Kid Cudi put together their joint effort KIDS SEE GHOSTS, they chose Murakami to create the cover art for their self-titled debut album. The album itself contains many great tracks and ethereal atmospheres, and the cover invites you into their unique sound, painting a pastel palette and nodding to traditional Japanese forms.

Murakami also worked with Pharell Williams on the creation of an exuberant fibreglass, steel, and LED light sculpture called The Simple Things. The sculpture shows a table of everyday, mass produced items chosen by Pharell, made out of white, yellow and rose gold and set with diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires, inside the jaws of Mr. DOB. Christies’ sold it at a staggering amount of close to USD$2.8 million in 2019.

The Billie Eilish hit single You Should See Me In A Crown featured a music video animated by Murakami. The video begins with a candid performance by an anime styled CG Eilish, and slowly develops into a wild climax: a terrifying spider kaiju destroying a cybernetic city.

Always keen to branch out into new territories, Murakami has written and recorded a song titled “Let’s Go See the Nuclear Reactor.” Later this year, he will be releasing it alongside a cover of the folk song “Coffee Blues.” This is quite a departure for the artist, but if history is any indication, it will likely be interesting to follow this new avenue.

Murakami is also well-known for his charity contribution.  During the Covid-19 pandemic, he teamed up with the acclaimed streetwear brand Supreme to create a limited-edition T-shirt for which Murakami revisited the famous Supreme red rectangular logo with his immediately recognizable flowers and skulls.

Selling for $60 apiece, the collaboration quickly raised more than $1 million. The staggering proceeds went to Help USA — a charity that fights homelessness that will provide housing, food, and essential services to families in need during this difficult time.

Murakami had recently participated in another worthy cause in the aftermath of the Tohoku-Pacific earthquake of 2011. Murakami helped to assemble an extensive auction at Christies that included works by Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman, KAWS, Damien Hirst, and himself, with its proceeds going to relief efforts.

Whether you are already an appreciator of Murakami’s work, or just discovering his creative masterpieces, Murakami’s psychedelic colorful anime world cannot leave one indifferent. This iconic artist has made his mark and will undoubtedly leave an everlasting Japanese pop culture imprint on contemporary art.

Murakami’s true-life companion and muse was his beautiful dog, Pom. Murakami was looking for a quiet place to go on vacation when he stumbled across a photo of a local hotel and a dog in a magazine in the island of Yoronjima. When he arrived, he realized that there were actually two dogs and that one was pregnant. The owner kept telling him that the puppies were arriving the next day and Murakami extended his days for another two days. Four days later, Murakami went back to Tokyo. Shortly after, he received an email that the puppies had finally arrived and he went back to the island to pick up all four of them. He gave three away to friends and kept his little girl, Pom.

Pom was the best friend and significant companion that Murakami hadn’t expected. Pom is naturally featured in many of Murakami’s art pieces. It is incredible just how impactful our dogs, our best friends and companions are, and what a large role they play in our lives.His Instagram name is Takashipom and reflects how Pom is the other half of himself. Pom heartbreakingly, left his side on October 3, 2020 and this article is an ode to his other half. May you rejoice and reunite one day, on the other side of the rainbow.

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