Takashi Murakami: Red Flower Ball (3-D)

Takashi Murakami’s screen print Red Flower Ball (3-D) (2012) features the artist’s iconic smiling flower motif with various shades of red petals, arranged into a flattened globular composition and accented with platinum leaf. The flowers, which first appeared in Murakami’s work in 1995, were inspired by his training in nihonga (traditional Japanese painting) and share its focus on natural forms. Along with other recurring characters such as Mr. DOB, they populate an ever-expanding body of painting, sculpture, print, and film that draws on historical sources alongside sci-fi, anime, and the global art market.