Takashi Murakami at Blum & Poe

This weekend I decided to take a dip out of San Diego, and head north to check out Takashi Murakami’s “Arhat” exhibition at Blum & Poe in Culver City. For those unfamiliar with Murakami, he’s an artist / toymaker / animated filmmaker / entrepreneur from Japan. You may of seen his work if you’re familiar with the likes of Kanye West, or Louis Vuitton.

Ever since I saw the huge ©Murakami retrospective at the MOCA in 2008, I’ve kept tabs on his work. Whether I enjoy or fully understand the stories behind all his characters, his work is very well-crafted (with a good amount of professional help), and in many cases larger than life. The detail combined with the scale is impressive in its own right. I’ve found it hard to not be in awe at some point while walking through a large Murakami exhibition, whether because the characters are compelling or the craftsmanship is just that good. Sufficient to say, I’ve had a fun time everytime.

Since the show was right across the 405 and close to Santa Monica, I also paid a costly visit to Hennessey and Ingalls — hands down my favorite bookstore — and bought several books for our studio library. All in all, a great 1-day visit to see our neighbors up north.

Jordan Stark

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2 Comments on “Takashi Murakami at Blum & Poe”

  1. So awesome! Those sculptures are very impressive. Do you know if that is real gold? The color and detail in the paintings is spectacular.

    1. Yea sir, the catalog said it was gold. I’m going to go ahead and presume that means gold plated.

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