Aynura Yusupova, senior research fellow, conservator of the Eastern graphics collection at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow will explain the influence of ukiyo-e art, the painting of “eccentric” artists, and other traditional Japanese artistic movements in Takashi Murakami’s practice.
Takashi Murakami is a professional painter trained at the School of Fine Arts at Tokyo University, with specialization in nihonga, or traditional Japanese painting. Brilliant knowledge of Japanese art allows Murakami to confidently use classical themes and narratives in his own works, although not necessarily explicitly. Murakami’s longstanding collaboration with the renowned Japanese art historian, professor Tsuji Nobuo has led to the publishing of their joint project—a book about Japanese history of arts, as well as a number of exhibitions in Japan and the US. Who are Kaikai and Kiki, the key protagonists of many of the artist’s pieces? What do these characters mean in the context of Murakami’s entire practice? These and other questions will be discussed during the lecture delivered by Aynura Yusupova.
