Takashi Murakami once said, “Rather than a big figure, I guess you could say I’m more of an influential minority symbol.” That assessment is a bit modest, seeing that he’s a phenomenal presence in the international art world. Murakami graduated from the Tokyo University of the Arts, having mastered traditional Japanese painting. He then began to integrate Eastern and Western visual culture, creating characters, techniques, and scenes that are an eye-popping blend of both; yet all the while he remained fiercely and loyally Japanese. In an exhibition that analyzes Murakami’s Asian identity as expressed in his work, 35 works are on display. —E.C.

Murakami by Murakami
Instituto Tomie Ohtake
Av. Brigadeiro Faria Lima, 201, Rua Coropé, 88 - Pinheiros, São Paulo - SP, 05426-100, Brazil
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