Takashi Murakami Interview: May Not Issue NFTs Again, but Time Will Prove This Art Movement

The Guardian reported that in a new solo exhibition at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, renowned Japanese artist Takashi Murakami presented a series of artworks titled "Unfamiliar People" in his signature cartoon style. These artworks, with their colorful and surreal depictions, explore the distorted impact of social media on human self-perception during the pandemic, while also showcasing the artist's deep dive into cryptocurrency and NFTs.

Takashi Murakami's New Work Inspired by Exploration of Cryptocurrency

In this exhibition, Takashi Murakami's "Unfamiliar People" series combines traditional painting techniques with contemporary elements, depicting a group of characters with kaleidoscopic eyes, sharp teeth, and balloon-like heads. Through this series, he explores how people lose themselves in the "endless loop of attention feedback" during the pandemic.

Takashi Murakami's creative inspiration often comes from his exploration of cryptocurrency, with icons of Bitcoin, Dogecoin, and Ethereum appearing in his paintings. Works like "Young Auctioneer" and "Twenty" depict a young man aspiring to work in finance, revealing contemporary society's obsession with money and pursuit of wealth.

Facing Bankruptcy in 2020, Takashi Murakami Explores the Fruits of Blockchain

Approximately half of the exhibition's pieces were created after 2020. During this period, Takashi Murakami's production studio, Kaikai Kiki, faced bankruptcy. He began exploring the possibilities of blockchain and launched NFT artwork series in 2021 and 2022: Clone X and Murakami.Flowers.

Takashi Murakami's NFT Venture Faces Setbacks

Despite market fluctuations in the NFT space and the commercial failure of the Murakami.Flowers project, Takashi Murakami remains steadfast in positioning himself as a painter, presenting these digital artworks in the form of acrylic paintings at the exhibition.

NFT Seen as a Natural Evolution for Takashi Murakami

The Guardian views NFT as a natural progression of Takashi Murakami's diversified career. After facing bankruptcy in 2020, he revitalized a capitalist mindset through creating moderately sized NFT artworks, showcasing a renewed vigor for capitalism.

No Future NFT Releases, but Time Will Prove This Art Movement

Despite setbacks in the NFT space, Takashi Murakami has indicated that he may not release NFT artworks in the future.

However, he believes that NFT will prove itself as an art movement surpassing the era of Pop Art.

He stated, "As artists, it is our responsibility to introduce new ideas. I will do my best to expand NFT into the world of fine art."