Murakami Mania

Manga, manga, manga. Japanese pop artist and manga maestro Takashi Murakami is taking over Manhattan. Well, actually it’s Brooklyn, where his riotous retrospective opened to rave reviews last week at the Brooklyn Museum. Ninety of his colorful paintings, whimsical sculptures and zany inflatables adorn the museum’s halls--filled with images of flowers, weepy-eyed, fashionable young girls [Miss Ko2 is a favorite] and sexy, nude cartoon-like figures. A review in
The Wall Street Journal refers to his art as “creepy-cute paintings of cuddly characters with fierce-looking teeth.” What a treat for designers and visual merchandisers--who should all run to Brooklyn as fast as they can. This exhibit is bound to generate inspiration for months to come [maybe the windows at Saks?].

In case you are not familiar with the manga craze, or its cousin anime--this is a pseudo comic book, narrative art style, often incorporating animation, that originated in Japan and rapidly spread around the world, developing a cult standing among teens and hip adults.

Part of the exhibit includes an on-site Louis Vuitton store that sells merchandise decorated with Murakami-designed LV monograms. The colorful brand emblems were introduced to jazz up the brand a few seasons back and decorate handbags costing up to several thousands of dollars. Bringing the shop into the museum has ignited a controversy about art versus commerce. In answer, Murakami told The Wall Street Journal: “Whether it’s art or brands, we’re all talking about human desire.” Murakami also designed a recent album cover for singer Kanye West, who turned up in person to perform at the show’s opening.

Diva thinks Murakami is divine. Go to Brooklyn and take a look (the show runs through July 13).
Or look at this cool video by The New York Times here.

--Diva