Takashi Murakami
Takashi Murakami DOB-kun Figure (Takashi Murakami art toy)
2022

Name: Takashi Murakami DOB-kun Figure (Takashi Murakami art toy)
Brand: Takashi Murakami
Price: 825 USD

About the Item

Takashi Murakami DOB-kun Figure: A limited edition Takashi Murakami art toy featuring the artist's iconic DOB character. DOB-kun’s name, defined in his rounded ears and face, is the first three letters of an improvised phrase that is a nonsensical combination of “dobojide dobojide (why, why?)” from the Japanese manga series Inakappe Taishō and a catch phrase “oshamambe,” used by comedian Toru Yuri. Accompanied by a signed certificate of authenticity and original packaging. Never displayed. Medium: Vinyl figurine. Red. Year: 2022. Figurine: 9 x 7 x 4 inches Condition: accompanied by its original packaging. All elements excellent overall condition; figure has never been displayed. Accompanied by a signed Murakami Certificate of Authenticity. Stamped on the underside of the foot; from a sold out limited edition of 250. Murakami printed signature on front of box. Further Background: Mr. DOB is Takashi Murakami’s alter ego and first signature character, appearing in his works as early as 1993. With this smiling creature, Murakami hoped to create a Japanese icon with universal appeal, in the spirit of Hello Kitty and Pikachu. To do so, he drew inspiration from characters in Eastern and Western popular culture, including the adorable Japanese manga creature Doraemon and Walt Disney’s iconic Mickey Mouse. While the first Mr. DOB had a somewhat fierce appearance with sharp, menacing teeth, the character grew cuter and cuter over time, setting the stage for all of Murakami’s iconic “Superflat” motifs such as his smiling flowers and jellyfish eyes. Takashi Murakami is a Japanese artist known for blurring the boundary between fine and commercial art. Often categorized alongside historic and contemporary artists working in the tradition of Pop Art, such as Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, and Jeff Koons, Murakami's work has achieved a widespread level of fame beyond the art world. His innovative “Superflat” aesthetic—combining classical Japanese art with contemporary Japanese pop culture—has led many to consider him one of the most innovative artists working today. Exploring the links between traditional printmaking techniques and Japanese manga in postwar society, Murakami’s art acts as a cultural barometer with subversive undertones and imagery. “My aesthetic sense was formed at a young age by what surrounded me: the narrow residential spaces of Japan and the mental escapes from those spaces that took the forms of manga and anime,” he reflected. Born on February 1, 1962 in Tokyo, Japan, where he continues to live and work, Murakami has embraced commerce through the founding of Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd., an artist management agency and studio based in both New York and Munich. With his popular collaboration with the fashion label Louis Vuitton, Murakami has established himself as a pioneer of promoting art as a brand. In 2007, Murakami provided the cover artwork for rapper Kanye West's album Graduation. The artist’s work has been the subject of numerous exhibitions around the world, include those held at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, Gagosian Gallery in London, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, and the Versailles Palace. Related Categories Pop Art. Street Art. Damien Hirst. KAWS. Banksy. Japanese artists. Art toys. Disney. Mickey Mouse. Takashi Murakami DOB.

Creator:

Takashi Murakami (1963, Japanese)

Creation Year:

2022

Dimensions:

Height: 9 in (22.86 cm)Width: 7 in (17.78 cm)

Medium:

Vinyl

Movement & Style:

Pop Art

Period:

21st Century

Condition:

Gallery Location:

NEW YORK, NY

Reference Number:

1stDibs: LU354312480452

Shop All Takashi Murakami

Takashi Murakami

Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami may be famous among collectors for his psychedelic flowers and chaotic cartoons, but artists likely know him as the theorist behind the contemporary art movement he calls “Superflat.”

Partially inspired by the Pop art of Andy Warhol, in which celebrity culture and mundane mass-produced items became the focus of bright and colorful works that both celebrated and criticized consumerism, Murakami’s Superflat encompasses painting, sculpture, digital design and more to present a subversive look at consumerism but is also an effort to blend fine art and lowbrow culture. A multifaceted and remarkably influential artist as well as a compulsive art collector, Murakami has collaborated with brands such as Louis Vuitton, while one of his most famous Superflat works is the teddy bear on the cover of the Graduation album by American rapper Kanye West.

In 1993 Murakami earned his Ph.D. from Tokyo University of the Arts, where he was trained in nihonga, a style of painting that originated in the late 19th century by artists who worked to preserve and promote the conventions and processes associated with traditional Japanese art. While practicing nihonga, Murakami began to realize that his beliefs didn’t align with the tradition, so his art subsequently took on a satirical feel that embodied a critique of the movement. Before long, his style took a drastic turn, embracing otaku, a rising postwar cultural phenomenon among Japan’s younger crowd who loved anime and manga. (Otaku is also integral to Superflat.)

This is when Murakami’s most well-known character, Mr. DOB, was born. This anime-inspired icon, which Americans might interpret as a cross between Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse and Lewis Carroll’s Cheshire Cat given its pronounced ears and broad and menacing grin, was part of the artist’s endeavor to elevate the otaku subculture but also to target mass consumerism. While Murakami conceived of Mr. DOB years ahead of his 2000-era Superflat theory, there is much common ground between the two. Not unlike his other creations, Murakami’s Mr. DOB is equal parts erotic, disturbing and cartoonish — an incisive mockery of the mingling of commerce and fine art so prevalent in Japanese popular culture.

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