Even for Takashi Murakami, one of the most celebrated and prolific contemporary artists, 2025 has been a truly exceptional year. In the span of just five months, he opened the solo exhibition JAPONISME → Cognitive Revolution at Gagosian in New York, collaborated with Major League Baseball on a capsule collection, and launched a reissue of his 2003 cult collection with Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton—this time, with a campaign starring Zendaya.
Beloved by the fashion world, Murakami also has a strong institutional presence. Proof of this is the new solo exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art, Stepping on the Tail of the Rainbow, his largest show in the US in the last two decades.
The central point is a spectacular reinterpretation of Yumedono (Hall of Dreams) from the Hōryūji temple, built with the help of set designers from the Shōgun TV series. The space functions as an artistic temple, housing four new works and a carpet designed by Murakami.
Known for his style that combines anime aesthetics, Japanese pop culture and classical art, Murakami often explores profound themes such as trauma, collective history, and spirituality. Through an intense palette and recognisable characters, the artist creates a unique visual language with a double meaning: playful, yet often meditative.