The art of selling
Japan's highly acclaimed contemporary artist Takashi Murakami has amazed art lovers inside and outside Japan for years with his work and, also, often with his ideas.
His latest endeavour arrived like a shockwave: he has agreed to include miniatures of his well-known works with packets of chewing gum, in the same way that cheap plastic toys often accompany sweets or cookies.
'Takashi Murakami's Super flat museum' packs will be sold in convenience stores across Japan from December 8. Priced at 350 yen (HK$25), each comes with one of 10 miniature replicas of his work, including his most famous figure, Miss K02, which fetched US$560,000 at auction in New York. Every piece is numbered and comes with a certificate.
'I believe this is a revolution in the art world that is changing the history of Japan,' said Murakami, 41, as he unveiled his bold plan last month. 'Reigning at the top of Japan's hierarchy are the masses, and I am so happy to deliver my artifacts to these ordinary people in the form of toys.' This way, he says, his work becomes more accessible to everyone.
Tokyo-born Murakami studied traditional black-and-white brush painting at the prestigious Japan National University of Fine Arts and Music. By the time he had finished his master's degree and Ph.D thesis, he had become attracted to contemporary pop culture, particularly comics and cartoons. Since the mid 1990s, he has been pumping out his own animated characters - typically large-eyed and drawn in strong, simple lines - as figures or in paintings. His art is based on a mixture of pop art and the otaku culture of adolescent geeks obsessed with Japanese cartoons and comics. He is fond of bright colours, cuteness and simple lines.
Takashi established his reputation in New York, Paris and other global art centres before his homeland took him seriously. Here, some view him as Japan's answer to Andy Warhol, while others simply see him as eccentric. The hip artist became a national celebrity, though, following Miss KO2's auction in May.
He won more young female fans when he designed a US$5,000 handbag for Louis Vuitton in collaboration with the fashion house's Marc Jacobs this year. He has also been featured in an exhibition at the Rockefeller Centre in New York, held in September and October.
But there is more to Murakami that just a creative artist. He is already a media-savvy and successful entrepreneur, getting involved in public events and collaborations with leaders in the world of design. He heads KaiKai Kiki Corporation, a training ground for aspiring young artists, where his and other artists' work is made.
He produces a wide range of merchandise, from T-shirts, posters and videos, to watches and stuffed animals, which are sold at many retail outlets and on the internet.
His distinct approach to commercialise his art puzzles some classic art fans, who expect artists to be devoted only to creating beautiful works.
For others, however, he may be opening a new era in art history.
