Why is the Homage series important?

The prints in the Homage collection capture Murakami’s ‘superflat’ aesthetic which is best described by the artist’s creation of hyper-compressed, almost depthless surfaces in his artworks. Murakami coined the term superflat himself in 2000 in order to explain his theory regarding Japanese art. Published in the catalogue for a group exhibition that he curated for the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, Murakami explains that there is a legacy of flat, two-dimensional imagery from Japanese art history in manga and anime. This style contrasts with the way Western art privileges texture and depth through the use of planes of colour. In addition to describing the aesthetics of artworks, Murakami says that the term also captures the nature of post-war Japanese culture and society. Murakami identifies how differences in social classes and popular taste have flattened, diminishing the distinction between ‘high’ and ‘low’ culture. A feature of the superflat style is the way in which symbols of ‘high’ culture are rendered in a popular style associated with ‘low’ culture, which has the effect of flattening together what is considered ‘high’ and ‘low’ in the same work.

How do I buy a Homage print?

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How can I sell my Homage print?

If you're looking to sell art by Takashi Murakami, click the link and we can help. We employ a number of techniques and practices in order to give a realistic and achievable valuation on any art listed on myartbroker.com. We analyse the demand for the work in question, take into consideration previous sales and auction valuations, we assess the current gallery valuation and monitor the current deals taking place via MyArtBroker every day. We regularly advise sellers on a price bracket for their artwork completely free of charge.

Homage by Takashi Murakami Background & Meaning

Homage

Takashi Murakami’s Homage collection comprises a variety of silkscreened prints and lithographs paying tribute to famous figures or cultural moments from Francis Bacon to Yves Klein. Many feature a wallpapering of Murakami’s signature smiling flowers, while others showcase Murakami’s other characters; all share the ‘kawaii’ aesthetic Murakami is known for.

Meaning & Analysis

The Homage collection is composed of a variety of screen prints and lithograph prints produced by the renowned Japanese artist, Takashi Murakami. The prints in this collection are all homages to famous figures or cultural moments, such as Francis Bacon and Yves Klein.

Many of the prints in this collection feature Murakami’s signature smiling flowers. Smiling flowers are a visual motif that appears frequently throughout Murakami’s artworks. The flowers have become closely associated with the artist’s name and are probably his most recognisable motif. An Homage To Yves Klein, Multicolor D shows a composition filled with multi-colour flowers. The centre of the flowers resembles the smiley face emoji, and the smiling faces imbue the flowers with emotion. The smiling flowers, which beam out at the viewer of the print, encapsulate the ‘kawaii’ aesthetic, which refers to the Japanese culture of cuteness. Many of Murakami’s artworks feature kawaii cartoon characters whose adorable big, round eyes and wide grins give the characters an endearing appearance. Discussing his flowers, Murakami explains: “each one seems to have its own feelings, its own personality”. The individuality of the flowers is reflected in the fact that each flower has a unique combination of colours, which also showcases Murakami’s obsessive attention to detail and sensitivity to colour.

Other prints in the collection, such as Homage To Francis Bacon, are devoid of flowers, however showcase the influence of anime and manga (Japanese cartoons and comics) on Murakami’s artistic style. All the prints feature bright and bold colours which gives them a psychedelic feel. While Homage To Francis Bacon does not feature any of Murakami’s flowers, it does contain other of the artist’s cartoon characters, such as Mr. Pointy and Mr. DOB. Murakami is well known for his impressive cast of characters that reappear in different iterations throughout his artworks. Characters often appear together however sometimes feature alone as the sole subject of his prints. Other notable characters include Kaikai and Kiki, an iconic cartoon duo that often feature together and have been described as the ‘ying and yang’ of Murakami’s cartoon world. Kaikai is rendered as an endearing character, defined by a big smile and white rabbit-like ears while Kiki’s appearance is slightly more sinister, as the cartoon has three eyes and fangs.

The prints in the Homage collection capture Murakami’s ‘superflat’ aesthetic which is best described by the artist’s creation of hyper-compressed, almost depthless surfaces in his artworks. Murakami coined the term superflat himself in 2000 in order to explain his theory regarding Japanese art. Published in the catalogue for a group exhibition that he curated for the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, Murakami explains that there is a legacy of flat, two-dimensional imagery from Japanese art history in manga and anime. This style contrasts with the way Western art privileges texture and depth through the use of planes of colour. In addition to describing the aesthetics of artworks, Murakami says that the term also captures the nature of post-war Japanese culture and society. Murakami identifies how differences in social classes and popular taste have flattened, diminishing the distinction between ‘high’ and ‘low’ culture. A feature of the superflat style is the way in which symbols of ‘high’ culture are rendered in a popular style associated with ‘low’ culture, which has the effect of flattening together what is considered ‘high’ and ‘low’ in the same work.
The flattening of ‘high’ and ‘low’ culture is something Murakami often does in his artworks. Murakami came from a traditional art background. He studied ‘nihonga’ a traditional style of Japanese painting at the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music and then went on to do a Master’s and PhD in this painting style. Murakami soon became disillusioned with the fine art world which led to his experimentation with more contemporary artistic styles and the incorporation of popular culture into his artworks. He also spent a year in New York in 1994 which had a profound impact on his artistic development. Murakami’s style combines elements of traditional Japanese painting with popular culture and influences from contemporary Western artists, meaning that the artist’s style is truly unique.
If you're looking to sell art by Takashi Murakami, click the link and we can help. We employ a number of techniques and practices in order to give a realistic and achievable valuation on any art listed on myartbroker.com. We analyse the demand for the work in question, take into consideration previous sales and auction valuations, we assess the current gallery valuation and monitor the current deals taking place via MyArtBroker every day. We regularly advise sellers on a price bracket for their artwork completely free of charge.