[FRIEZE 2025] Takashi Murakami returns to Seoul with smiling flowers, 'Superflat' philosophy

Wearing a hat in the shape of his signature smiling flower and a large Panda pendant around his neck, Takashi Murakami greeted Seoul with a grin as playful and vivid as his art. For the Japanese pop art icon, who has shaped the art world with his “Superflat” aesthetic, the outfit itself becomes another extension of his art. Twelve years after his last solo exhibition in Seoul, Murakami returns with “Seoul, Kawaii Summer Vacation,” a compact but impactful showcase of new works presented by Gagosian at APMA Cabinet, a project space inside the Amorepacific headquarters in central Seoul's Yongsan District. This is Murakami’s first Seoul solo since “Takashi in Superflat Wonderland” at Samsung Museum of Art Plateau in 2013 and follows his major 2023 retrospective “MurakamiZombie” at the Busan Museum of Art. This also is global mega gallery Gagosian’s third exhibition in Korea despite not having a permanent space in the country. Cute, flat and complicated The artist’s iconic smiling flowers are instantly recognizable from his merchandise and collaborations with K-pop musicWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times