© MURAKAMI

This book was published on the occasion of © MURAKAMI, the first comprehensive survey of Takashi Murakami’s work, which originated at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and subsequently traveled to the Brooklyn Museum, New York; Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; and Guggenheim Bilbao, Spain. Organized by Paul Schimmel in 2007–08, the retrospective featured key selections from across the artist’s career, including early political works that critique Japan’s consumer culture and talent industries, as well as the ongoing evolution of Mr. DOB, the artist’s anime alter ego. The exhibition also featured a fully functional Louis Vuitton boutique that highlighted Murakami’s continued collaboration with the luxury brand.

Richly illustrated with color plates depicting individual works and details, as well as installation views and behind-the-scenes production photographs, the book also includes essays by Dick Hebdige, Midori Matsui, Scott Rothkopf, Paul Schimmel, and Mika Yoshitake, as well as a foreword by Jeremy Strick and a list of selected exhibitions, publications, articles and reviews, and awards.