A Season of Lush Grass

As the founder of the popular Superflat movement, Takashi Murakami is one of Japan’s most prominent artists today. He pursues an artistic approach that combines an emphasis on flatness with the aesthetics of Japanese anime and otaku culture, often incorporating smiley faces into floral motifs. A Season of Lush Grass, a recent work based on this smiley faced floral theme, uses flat forms and vivid colors to replicate a chrysanthemum motif symbolizing the Japanese imperial family that was once reserved solely for the aristocracy and high art. Countless flowers wedged and nested within each other, equipped with vivid smiling faces, multiply in a psychedelic and delightful color pattern that erases the boundary between high art and popular culture.