Takashi Murakami
Oval Buddha
2008
Takashi Murakami is one of Japan's most important contemporary artists. He has successfully dispelled the boundaries between fine art and popular art. This bizarre sculpture reflects Murakami's evolving body, mind, and spirit, as well as his unbroken pursuit of culture, country, religion, and the current state of art. A portrait of the artist is incorporated into one face of the sculpture, while the other face presents the image of a kappa from Japanese folklore. Murakami has expertly integrated sophisticated crafting techniques into this piece.