Murakami Takashi

Murakami Takashi (b. 1962, Tokyo) works across the boundaries of high and low culture, past and present, East and West, drawing on Japanese manga and anime and otaku subculture. He developed the concept of "Superflat," collapsing distinctions between commercial design, comic exaggeration, and fine-art aesthetics, and created recurring characters such as Mr. DOB. He holds a Ph.D. from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and has exhibited at institutions including the Guggenheim Bilbao, Palace of Versailles, Tate Modern, and Gagosian Gallery.