Takashi Murakam [dropcap size=small]T[/dropcap]he man who made Louis Vuitton bags cool (once upon a time) arrived in Hong Kong on May 21st for the opening of his solo exhibition at Galerie Perrotin, which will run from May 22nd until July 6th. It’s the 9th solo show that the gallery has organised with Takashi Murakami in 20 years of collaboration. It will display a set of new paintings featuring Murakami’s famous alter-ego Mr. Dob, and self-portraits of the artist surrounded by his emblematic characters including Kaikai and Kiki. After earning his Doctorate in Nihonga painting from the Tokyo University of the Arts, Takashi Murakami developed a unique style that combined modern techniques with the precision and virtuosity of traditional Japanese art, and that of Ukiyo-e engraving in particular. Murakami has always drawn inspiration from Manga and Kawaii culture, creating an irresistible world peopled by monstrous and charming characters. The Galerie Perrotin exhibition is part of a grand build up for Murakami that will culminate in an exhibition from July to 8 December 2013 at the Samsung Museum of Art in Seoul, which is organizing an important solo show of his works titled Takashi in Superflat Wonderland. The theory of the “Superflat aesthetic”, which he introduced in 2000, attempts to blur the frontiers between popular and “grand” art. 
