Takashi Murakami juxtaposes the cute with the grotesque in 'MurakamiZombie'

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Takashi Murakami juxtaposes the cute with the grotesque in 'MurakamiZombie'

Renowned Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami poses at the Busan Museum of Art on Thursday during the opening of "MurakamiZombie," a large-scale retrospective of the artist now on view. [YONHAP]

Renowned Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami poses at the Busan Museum of Art on Thursday during the opening of "MurakamiZombie," a large-scale retrospective of the artist now on view. [YONHAP]

 
BUSAN — Takashi Murakami, a world-renowned Japanese contemporary artist, is like the Pied Piper: He knows how to attract a crowd wherever he goes, with his art full of rainbow flowers, zombies, anime, Buddhism — you name it.
 
He was turning heads left and right, with some people even changing course to tag along, during the opening of his large-scale retrospective “MurakamiZombie,” now on view at the Busan Museum of Art in Haeundae District of the southeastern port city.
 
The way he was dressed last Thursday was one superficial reason for the crowds, making an eccentric fashion statement, especially for someone turning 61 this year, with a large, pink plush hat of an alien-like character he created from his “Jellyfish Eyes” (2013) sci-fi fantasy film, a yellow plaid coat and gold chain pendant necklaces of his smiling flower characters.
 
Another reason for the visitors’ attention was that it is Murakami’s first exhibition in Korea in a decade. Staff members occasionally had to control the lines and even shoo some people outside to wait their turn.
 
This is the fourth in the museum’s “Lee Ufan and His Friends” exhibition series, which sees artist Lee Ufan, the master of dansaekhwa, or Korean monochrome paintings, invite internationally celebrated artists to hold solo shows at the museum. Previous editions featured Antony Gormley, Bill Viola and Christian Boltanski.
 
A view of the "MurakamiZombie" retrospective of Takashi Murakami now on view at the Busan Museum of Art in Haeundae District, Busan. [TAKASHI MURAKAMI, KAIKAI KIKI CO., LTD.]

A view of the "MurakamiZombie" retrospective of Takashi Murakami now on view at the Busan Museum of Art in Haeundae District, Busan. [TAKASHI MURAKAMI, KAIKAI KIKI CO., LTD.]

 
Many will be familiar with Murakami’s multicolored smiling flower characters, which have seen global commercial success through collaborations with brands like Supreme or Louis Vuitton. The adorable rainbow cosmoses are known to elicit happiness, but they actually delve far past pure cuteness and are meant to represent the embellishments and frailty of life.
 
This applies to other series in Murakami’s artistic world, which can also be intentionally grotesque. For this exhibition, the museum divided it into sections based on three keywords: cuteness, grotesque and pathos.
 
“Please keep in mind, however, that his artworks are far more complex than simply these three categories,” the museum’s chief curator Cheong Jong-hyo said. “For example, some works may be cute and grotesque at the same time. The keywords are just to aid the audience’s understanding of Murakami’s art.”
 
The zombie is one of the core elements of the exhibition, hence “MurakamiZombie.” In particular, the “Murakami Zombie W/ Pom Zombie” (2022) sculptures depict a walking dead version of himself and his pet dog, Pom.
 
A view of the "MurakamiZombie" retrospective of Takashi Murakami now on view at the Busan Museum of Art in Haeundae District, Busan. [TAKASHI MURAKAMI, KAIKAI KIKI CO., LTD.]

A view of the "MurakamiZombie" retrospective of Takashi Murakami now on view at the Busan Museum of Art in Haeundae District, Busan. [TAKASHI MURAKAMI, KAIKAI KIKI CO., LTD.]

"Murakami Zombie W/ Pom Zombie" (2022) by Takashi Murakami [SHIN MIN-HEE]

"Murakami Zombie W/ Pom Zombie" (2022) by Takashi Murakami [SHIN MIN-HEE]

 
Many of the works on display, including the zombie installation, are a result of Murakami’s contemplation on how art can console people in the midst of chaos like earthquakes and nuclear disasters.
 
“When there is a war or someone is murdered, there is at least an entity to blame the damage on,” Murakami said. “But for calamities, there is no counterpart to project your anger on, so it becomes absurd. When life becomes unbearable, you need to relieve that panic, and I used to think that religion was the means to do so. But adding the pandemic to that, there was nowhere to run away to and religion lost its function. I realized that art needed to serve as comfort for people.”
 
His introspection into life can be straightforwardly illustrated in paintings of skull patterns or mushroom clouds, or even implicitly through another famed character, Mr. DOB.
 
"DOB Genesis" (1993) by Takashi Murakami [SHIN MIN-HEE]

"DOB Genesis" (1993) by Takashi Murakami [SHIN MIN-HEE]

 
Mr. DOB is a hybrid of Mickey Mouse, Sonic the Hedgehog and Doraemon, whose ears are each lettered “D” and “B” and the face representing the “O.”
 
The name DOB comes from “dobozite,” a Japanese slang meaning “why,” which is printed in big bold letters on the floor of the exhibit. Again, this reflects Murakami’s skeptical view on society as lifeless.
 
Mr. DOB started off as a kawaii ('cute' in Japanese) character, but over the years transformed nightmarishly into Tan Tan Bo — another example of Murakami’s works that blends cuteness and grotesqueness.
 
Pieces like the acrylic painting “727 Dragon” (2018) — owned by singer G-Dragon of Big Bang — use swirls of waves, large sharp teeth and a mold-like background to portray the monstrous Tan Tan Bo’s painful and chaotic state.
 
"727 Dragon" (2018) by Takashi Murakami [TAKASHI MURAKAMI, KAIKAI KIKI CO., LTD.]

"727 Dragon" (2018) by Takashi Murakami [TAKASHI MURAKAMI, KAIKAI KIKI CO., LTD.]

 
Another portion of the “grotesque” section is further dedicated to triptychs and paintings of Murakami’s homage to the British painter Francis Bacon (1909-1992), whose works centered on disturbing themes, like imagery of the crucifixion.
 
Visitors are also able to explore the world of Superflat, the postmodern art movement founded by Murakami, known to be influenced by manga and anime which touches upon subjects of otaku (Japan’s term for a person with obsessive interests) culture, sexual fetishism and consumerism, as part of the “pathos” section.
 
Such motif extends to his works of art related to his experience with various disastrous events, like the Fukushima nuclear disaster and the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in 2011. Murakami, therefore, incorporated Buddhist ideas, as seen in the additional “enso” section at the Space Lee Ufan building in the museum.
 
In Buddhism, enso means “circular form” and symbolizes “emptying the mind and freeing the body to create with only one complete brushstroke,” Cheong explained. Likewise, artist Lee’s works express a similar outlook on East Asian spirituality and physicality, using minimalistic elements of dots and lines, which is why some of the two artists’ works were arranged in the same space.
 
“Since ancient times, the circle has meant emptiness, unity and infinity,” Cheong said. “It is a holy symbol, and in Murakami’s ‘enso’ series, one can see that like the creative mind he is, he used spray paint instead of traditional brushstrokes.”
 
Murakami’s range as an artist is fascinating, in that he can draw entities so colorful and magical but then immediately shift to raw and unsettling creatures or even meditative subjects.
 
"Amitabha Buddha Descends, Looking Over His Shoulder" (2016) by Takashi Murakami [SHIN MIN-HEE]

"Amitabha Buddha Descends, Looking Over His Shoulder" (2016) by Takashi Murakami [SHIN MIN-HEE]

 
“Looking past on life, I’ve thought a lot, especially on energy; the energization of Japan,” Murakami said. “One of them is the fate of nuclear energy, and this process began when I was in my mid-20s. Nuclear themes take up a lot of my works, and the fact is that I wanted to communicate the relationship between energy and Japan. I also do this to suggest a new perspective to the audience when viewing art.”
 
“MurakamiZombie” continues through March 12. The Busan Museum of Art is open every day except Mondays, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The exhibition is free to all.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]
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