“Haruki Murakami is a Japanese writer. His books and stories have been bestsellers in Japan as well as internationally, with his work being translated into 50 languages and selling millions of copies outside his native country” -Wikipedia

I went to an art exhibition at the Astrup Fearnley Museum on Aker Brygge. Wonderful location for a museum, right on the fjord in a wealthy neighborhood.

This exhibition was showcasing the work of Murakami, aptly named “Murakami”.

“In the last twenty years, Murakami has been extremely visible on the international art scene, but he has also taken an active role in Japan, redefining the position of the artist through his involvement in different arenas of society. The exhibition Murakami by Murakami features not only his artworks, but also aspects of his activities as a collector, gallerist, cultural entrepreneur and activist.

The exhibition explores the phenomenon that is Takashi Murakami from a number of different angles. Firstly, it presents the visual artist through a selection from two of his outstanding bodies of work: those from the late 1990s related to the character Mr DOB and the concept of ‘Superflat’, which placed him within the legacy of Pop art but with an exceptionally original artistic language, and works from recent years in which Murakami has developed an intelligent personal dialogue with Japanese historical paintings. A selection of video works is also presented, and once a week the museum will screen his feature film Jellyfish Eyes  (2013). Secondly, Astrup Fearnley Museet presents an insight into Murakami’s impressive art collection through an ‘exhibition within the exhibition’ featuring antique Japanese ceramics and painted scrolls, curated by Murakami himself. Finally, the artist has also curated a display of works by several of the contemporary Japanese artists he exhibits in his Kaikai Kiki Gallery, which he founded in 2008″ -Astrup Fearnley Museet

This exhibition was a slice of Japan and my childhood; kicking it back to going to the library to read the latest manga and catching up on the hottest anime whilst eating ramen, but alas those days are over for me, but apparently not for Murakami. This was an interesting gallery and recommend it to every audience except children.