Takashi Murakami, The 500 Arhats (detail) 2012, Acrylic on canvas mounted on board, 302 x 10,000 cm, Private collection © 2012 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd.

“Takashi Murakami: The 500 Arhats” is being on view at Mori Art till March 6th, 2016, it’s the first large-scale solo exhibition of Murakami in 14 years. “The 500 Arhats,” one of the largest paintings ever produced in global art history, has been shown in Japan for the first time.

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Murakami is known as one of the most internationally acclaimed contemporary artists working today. Linking otaku culture, character iconography, and Japanese art history, he has developed the concept of ‘Superflat.’ “Little Boy” (New York, 2005), the final exhibition of Superflat Trilogy, a series of three exhibitions he curated, was given the 2005 award for the best thematic exhibition by the American branch of the International Association of Art Critics.

“The 500 Arhats” was created as a token of gratitude to the state of Qatar, one of the first to offer assistance in the wake of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, and was unveiled in Doha in 2012. The 500 Arhats and a number of new works in which he continues to offer up new challenges to the history of contemporary art. This exhibition will be an opportunity to encounter Murakami as a mature artist working with astonishing scale, energy, and artistic accomplishment.

Takashi Murakami “The 500 Arhats”
Date: October 31st, 2015 – March 6th, 2016
Open: 10:00 – 22:00 (Tuesday till 17:00)
Place: Mori Art Museum
Address: 53F Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Admission: Adult 1,600 yen
Tel: +81 (0)3 5777 8600
https://www.mori.art.museum