Takashi Marakami (Tokio, 1963)

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One of the most pioneering and challenging contemporary Japanese artists is Takashi Murakami. What 's more he has a wide range of talents. He makes cartoon-like paintings as well as quasi-minimalist sculptures, large balloons, set designs and designs for watches, posters, key rings, ashtrays, T-shirts and other industrial products on which in many cases his famous figure Mr. Dob can be spotted.

Takashi Murakami was born in Tokio in 1963 and studied at the National University of Fine Arts and Music in the Japanese capital Recently exhibitions of his work have been arranged by the Marianne Boeski Gallery in New York (2003), the Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain in Paris (2002), the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokio (2001), the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston (2001) and Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin in Paris (2001).

Beside his work as an artist Takashi Murakami also is a curator, an entrepreneur and an observer of the present Japanese society. In 2000 he put together an exhibition of Japanese art called 'Superflat' at which the influence of mass products of the toy and entertainment industry on contemporary art and aesthetics was expressed.

Those kinds of developments fascinate him immensely. This is also evident in his work in which he merges the worlds of modern Japanese comic strips and old Japanese painting in an inimitable way.