01
13-meter-long Murakami version of masterpiece Rakuchu Rakugai Zu welcomes visitors
Rakuchu Rakugai Zu Byobu or “Scenes In and Around Kyoto” (Funaki Version) (Edo period, 17th century) by Iwasa Matabei depicts various scenes of Kyoto, including shrines and temples, festivals and entertainment districts, and people enjoying Kabuki and Joruri (traditional Japanese puppet plays). A thirteen-meter-long contemporary Rakuchu Rakugai Zu, painted by Murakami while referencing the original, will welcome visitors to the exhibition.
02
Murakami’s version of The Wind and Thunder Gods and Dragon and Clouds challenge the most unorthodox of painters of the Edo period!
In addition to the above-mentioned Rakuchu Rakugai Zu, this exhibition features the eighteen-meter-long Dragon in Clouds - Red Mutation: The version I painted myself in annoyance after Professor Nobuo Tsuji told me, "Why don’t you paint something yourself for once?" (illustration 1) shown for the first time in Japan in which Murakami took on Soga Shohaku’s Dragon and Clouds (18th century), a work that had a deep impact on him. In addition, the new Murakami version of Tawaraya Sotatsu’s The Wind and Thunder Gods (National Treasure, 17th century), a representative work of the Rimpa school, will surprise viewers with its humor! (Illustrations 2, 3, and 4 *Reference images)
Fig.1: Takashi Murakami, Dragon in Clouds - Red Mutation:
The version I painted myself in annoyance after Professor Nobuo Tsuji told me, "Why don’t you paint something yourself for once?", 2010, Acrylic on canvas, 363 x 1800cm
©2010 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Fig.2: Takashi Murakami, Summer Flower Field under the Golden Sky, 2023, Design data, 300 x 1000 cm (Reference image)
©2023 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Fig.3: Takashi Murakami, Ogata Kōrin’s Flowers, 2023, Design data, Φ120 cm (Reference image)
©2023 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Fig.4: Takashi Murakami, Kōrin’s Flowers and Abstract Imagery, 2023, Design data, Φ150 cm (Reference image)
©2023 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
03
The origin of Heian-kyo—Murakami’s depiction of divine beasts of antiquity and the Rokkaku Rasendo bell tower
Surrounded by mountains, rivers, and ponds and protected by the Four Deities (Blue Dragon, White Tiger, Vermillion Bird, and Black Tortoise) that symbolize the four cardinal directions, Heian-kyo—a former name given to Kyoto—was considered an ideal place. In this exhibition, a new work by Murakami with these divine beasts as its motif will be shown on four walls surrounding Murakami’s version of Heian-kyo. The Rokkaku Rasendo (tentative English title) bell tower rises in the center of the space to ward off the disturbing presence of wandering mononoke, or evil spirits. (Illustrations 5 and 6)
Fig.5: Takashi Murakami, Dragon Heads – Gold,
2015, Gold leaf on carbon fiber and glass fiber, 130.8 x 84 x 84.2 cm,
Courtesy of Galerie Perrotin
©︎2015 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Fig.6: Takashi Murakami, Invoking the Vitality of a Universe Beyond Imagination,
2018, Platinum leaf on carbon fiber, 200 x 82 x 94 cm
©︎2018 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
04
The comings and goings of Mr. DOB and the evolution and amplification of Murakami’s characters
Murakami’s signature character Mr. DOB first appeared in 1994. With manga and video game characters as its motif, Mr. DOB is an ever-changing figure that has plugged into various contexts. (Illustration 7) Morphing into the monster Tan Tan Bo, then into an extreme form of Murakami self-portrait, Gero Tan, and then back again into Mr. DOB—while tracing the comings and goings of Mr. DOB, a character that has embodied Murakami’s concept of “Superflat,” this exhibition will also showcase new characters depicted on shaped canvases, as well as various new works that reference popular culture, such as Murakami’s animated films and trading cards. Are they the mononoke of our time!?
Fig.7: Takashi Murakami, DOB in the Strange Forest, 1999, Installation view, Under the Radiation Falls FRP, resin, fiberglass, acrylic and iron, 152.4 x 304.8 x 304.8 cm
Photo: Alexey Narodizkiy
©1999 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
05
The essence of Kyoto that attracts people from all over the world
Kyoto is a serene city with a history of more than 1,000 years that is colored with traditional events throughout the changing seasons. The exhibition features numerous works shown for the first time that take inspiration from Kyoto’s traditional culture, such as the Gion Festival, Gozan Okuribi bonfires, tea ceremony, and ikebana flower arrangement, as well as literary works themed around Kyoto. Takashi Murakami will guide visitors to this ancient capital!