From November 10th, 2014 to January 17th, 2015, the Gagosian gallery on 24th between 10th and 11th will be exhibiting Takasahi Murakami's latest collection called: The Land of the Dead. This series was a direct response to the most recent tsunami that hit Japan in 2011. He explores elements of death in a non-cynical but cheery way. The colors of this series are vibrant—consistent with his usual style. He speaks about death in a satirical humorous manner through his signature super flat style. The last Murakami exhibit I saw was at Versailles back in 2010.
One question that arose during my visit was Murakami's technique. My friends and I debated over whether his works were painted or printed? Some pieces gave clues that they may have been painted due to the texture and depth. Other pieces were very flat and gave us the impression that he may have created the art digitally and printed different layers and pasted them on top of each other.
After stalking Takashi Murakami's personal Instagram account, he hinted that in fact his works were first painted with acrylic, then spray painted through filters. Although I am not 100% sure, it is reasonable to assume he uses a combination of traditional acrylic paint, spray paint, and a cut & paste technique.
I quite enjoyed this exhibit as it was able to make me momentarily forget that I was in Manhattan and take me to another place. I felt like I entered the world of a classic Studio Ghibli film such as Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke. The demons and spirits used in his works resemble classic Japanese mythical creatures. Aside from his beautiful works of art, one interesting piece was a replicated temple that sits in the middle of the exhibit. I believe it was a portal or entrance to the land of the dead.