Takashi Murakami Opens Major Cleveland Museum Exhibition with Monumental Works

Takashi Murakami's major exhibition, "Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow," currently on view at the Cleveland Museum of Art, presents a profound exploration of cultural inheritance, trauma, and artistic evolution. Originally shown at The Broad in Los Angeles in 2022, the exhibition has been expanded to include new works and a monumental full-scale replica of the Yumedono, an ancient Japanese temple, serving as a spiritual centerpiece. Central to the show is Murakami's towering 82-foot painting created in response to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which reflects on historical tragedies including Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, blending anime aesthetics with Buddhist symbolism. The exhibition reveals a more introspective and complex side of Murakami, challenging the surface-level perception of his Superflat style by addressing themes of crisis, healing, and resilience. Curator Ed Schad emphasizes the dialogue between Murakami’s contemporary works and classical Japanese art, highlighting loans from historical artists to enrich the narrative. Across multiple venues including Gagosian New York and the Cleveland Museum of Art, Murakami uses historical replication and mutation to map cultural legacy, turning past art influences into a dynamic contemporary conversation.