Murakami’s way: bridging the gap between art, fashion, and life

“It was still early days for me in sculpture, and my technique hadn’t fully matured,” Murakami reflects. “But when I made those works, it was driven by a simple, genuine urge. I just wanted to make something in three dimensions. Looking back, they felt like a breath of fresh air brimming with energy.”

More than twenty years on, the legacy of Murakami’s collaboration with Louis Vuitton is kept alive through the Louis Vuitton x Murakami re-edition collection, which comprises over 200 designs. Released on 1 January this year, Chapter One revisited the artist’s iconic Monogram Multicolore rainbow pattern. Just two months later, Chapter Two arrived, introducing a line of leather goods, accessories and cosmetics embellished with his beloved cherry blossom motif.

While Murakami’s original collaborations in the early 2000s became cultural landmarks, he admits he envisioned the re-edition with more restraint. “At first, I wanted to make this collection smaller and less grand than before,” he confesses. “But Louis Vuitton today is larger and operates differently than it did twenty years ago. Still, I think it’s really cool that so many young people know my name. That makes me truly happy.”

Despite being one of the world’s most celebrated contemporary artists, Murakami doesn’t attribute his enduring popularity to any particular cause. “I don’t know,” he shrugs. “Maybe it’s just a coincidence.” He sees his rise as part of a broader shift, as non-Western artists from places like Cuba, Vietnam, and Thailand begin to assert their presence on the global stage. “I think it’s the right time,” Murakami says.

That modesty understates the true allure of his drive for artistic reinvention. His embrace of artificial intelligence (AI) is one such example, playing a prominent role in his recent exhibition at Gagosian Gallery in London, Japanese Art History à la Takashi Murakami. With the aid of AI, he reimagined Edo-period masterpieces such as Iwasa Matabei’s Rakuchu Rakugai Zu Byobu (1615). Rather than reproducing the original exactly, Murakami’s 13-metre-long rendition presents a sprawling portrait of 17th-century Kyoto, shaped by AI’s quirks and punctuated with his whimsical floral motifs.

He is also deeply engaged in the Web3 space. Following the launch of his first NFTs in 2023, Murakami’s art company, Kaikai Kiki, acquired NiftyKit in April this year—a Web3 technology platform enabling the issuance, management, and sale of digital assets via blockchain.

For Murakami, this isn’t about chasing trends. “Honestly, when I create, I want to escape boredom,” he says. “Boredom is my enemy. When I get commissions, people often ask for happy flowers. But doing only that becomes predictable, mechanical. These new tools help me break away from that.”

Despite his success, Murakami still grapples with how he’ll be remembered, referencing the far-reaching impact of the late Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi and the enduring legacy of Yayoi Kusama. “I’ve always wondered how I’ll be viewed in art history,” he says. “Public recognition is lovely, but how will people see me after I’m gone?”

With a creative engine that shows no signs of slowing, Murakami’s legacy seems all but assured. Beyond his enduring partnership with Louis Vuitton, he has surprised audiences with a flurry of new projects this year: a limited-edition jersey line with Major League Baseball; a collection of phone and travel accessories in collaboration with Casetify; and the launch of his own footwear brand, Ohana Hatake. He even ventured into music, teaming up with rising Japanese rapper JP the Wavy to debut LV Murakami (2025) under the stage name MNNK Bro.

Though many of his works touch on darker existential ideas, a thread of playfulness has always run through Murakami’s art, a means of making it accessible to viewers of all ages. “When I was a child, my parents would take me to exhibitions, but I often left feeling let down,” he recalls. “That’s why I started drawing cute cartoon faces. Maybe I just wanted to give children something joyful, and make museums feel more fun.”

Just hours after our conversation, Murakami’s irrepressible spirit proved more infectious than he could have imagined. Away from the hushed halls of the exhibition and the bustle of Art Basel, he stepped onto a stage alongside JP the Wavy to perform their song. Wearing his trademark flower hat, Murakami rapped and danced with gleeful abandon. “LV Murakami, lookin’ so colourful. It’s like this world,” sang MNNK Bro. And perhaps that unfiltered vitality is his truest legacy to the world.

Article published from the original in Tatler Vietnam, June 2025 issue

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