For Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami, 2016 brought a slew of opportunities for his superflat artworks to reach art aficionados and longtime fans alike. Most notably, his “Learning the Magic of Painting” exhibition at the Galerie Perrotin Paris brought to life a selection of new and unseen works that highlighted Murakami’s outlook on the art of painting, something he claims to continually learn. The exhibition also incorporated perhaps his most striking piece in recent superflat history; a life-sized replica of the artist himself, surrealistically transformed into a creature of sorts and masterfully crafted with animatronic movement and audio.
Alongside “Learning the Magic of Painting,” 2016 also saw Murakami collaborate with both Juxtapoz magazine on a pop-up event, and Complex Media for ComplexCon as the festival’s visual identity.