Murakami's Inochi

My buddy Pete asked what the hell this was. The short answer is that it is a creation by Japanese "pop" artist Takashi Murakami called Inochi (or life, in Japanese). For any of you who don't know Murakami's work, it is very unique, drawing on Pop art, manga and classic Japanese Ukiyo-e woodblock prints. Unlike most artists, he embraces commercialism (though with his own twist), even creating a line of handbags for Luis Vuiton.

The Inochi just finished an exhibit last week in Tokyo. When I went to the Murakami exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum last year, they were playing this short video which was made to imitate a typical Japanese drink commercial:



You can read up on the Tokyo exhibit here.