Virtual Curator's Choice Lecture

Takashi Murakami: Unfamiliar People — Swelling of Monsterized Human Ego is the first solo exhibition in San Francisco by Takashi Murakami (Japanese, b. 1962). An internationally recognized artist, Murakami is also a major figure in global pop culture whose influence extends to fashion, consumer products, curation, and entertainment. With a boldly colored, upbeat style and a pop sensibility that draws inspiration from anime and manga, Murakami’s accessible and fun creations deliver more than meets the eye: beneath the surface of his work lies a nuanced examination of human behavior, informed by historical and art-historical references and a wry sense of humor.

About the Curator

Dr. Laura W. Allen is Senior Curator of Japanese Art at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. After receiving her doctorate in Japanese art history at UC Berkeley, Dr. Allen spent over two decades teaching, consulting, and writing on Japanese painting and prints before joining the Asian Art Museum staff in 2012. Since then, she has overseen an ambitious program of Japanese art exhibitions, including In the Moment: Japanese Art from the Larry Ellison Collection; The Printer’s Eye: Ukiyo-e from the Grabhorn Collection; Seduction: Japan’s Floating World; Bearing Witness: Selected Works by Chiura Obata; Takashi Murakami: Unfamiliar People—Swelling of Monsterized Human Ego; and the forthcoming The Heart of Zen.