Takashi Murakami "Homage to Seiki Kuroda"

Kaikai Kiki Gallery

Finished

Artists

Tony, Kei, Ashito Oyari, Takashi Muraki et al.

"Chi Kan Sei" (Wisdom, Impression, Sentiment) is the well-known masterpiece of Meiji era painter Seiki Kuroda. It has significance as a Japanese nude portrait but it also won the gold prize at the Paris Grand Exhibition in 1900. It was the first nude oil painting with a Japanese model but also pursued a new type of female form at the time, and, with its Japanese traditional gold leaf background and highly realistic western style portrait of a sole nude figure, and very defined silhouette lines, the work and its motifs are very challenging.

100 years on, Takashi Murakami has reinvigorated this work through contemporary art. Firstly he produced a copy of the original Kuroda painting; then he invited 3 painting students from the world of otaku illustration, creating a collaborative work adhering to the same size and pose as the Kuroda version, but with contemporary aesthetic and female forms. Murakami's aesthetic of Japan of the now emerges from the new artwork.

This series will be displayed in London from June 27 as a new work in Murakami's solo show, but will be exhibited in Japan for two days only prior to this.

[Image: Tony, "Homage to Seiki Kuroda"]

Schedule

Jun 9 (Thu) 2011-Jun 10 (Fri) 2011