TAKASHI MURAKAMI
KANSAI PLATINUM, 2009
Offset Print high gloss varnishing
72x76.25cm
Kansai Platium as well as the other Kansai series depicts similar motifs of chrysanthemum flowers
referring to the 17th-century Japanese artist Ogata Kôrin whose white chrysanthemum motifs left
a profound impression on Murakami. The flowers stand out on gold or platinum-leaf backgrounds
in the purest Japanese tradition. The precious materials and format create a delicate contrast with
the fragility of the ethereal plants. Murakami also pays tribute to another influential artist, Andy
Warhol, in a series of prints featuring candy-colored flowers on gold or platinum backgrounds. As
an artist trained in Japanese traditional paintings, especially Ukiyo-E, Murakami mixes Japanese
traditional aesthetic with the Kawaii aesthetic of Japanese pop culture.
