Guess who's coming to Brooklyn?

Popularly known as the Warhol of Japan, Takashi Murakami, 46, has earned an international reputation for merging fine art with popular Japanese anime films and manga cartoons. Intent on exploring how mass-produced entertainment and consumerism are part of art, he teamed up with the fashion house Louis Vuitton in 2003 to create brightly colored versions of the classic LV monogram on Vuitton handbags. The majority of us are most familiar with his artwork for Kanye West's recent album Graduation. Now he's put together a special exhibit of his works, which will be on display starting April 5th at the Brooklyn Museum.

The exhibit includes some 90 works, sampling Mr. Murakami’s entire whimsical world in paintings, wallpapers, colorful sculptures, drawings and a 20-minute animated video. It will consume 18,500 square feet of exhibition space spread over two floors.

The show — its title, appropriately, is “©Murakami” — includes a fully operational Louis Vuitton shop selling some of Mr. Murakami’s designs for that luxury brand. A leather strap for a cellphone carries a $220 price tag; handbags range from $1,310 to $2,210. He has designed three new patterned-canvas wall hangings just for this exhibition; printed in editions of 100 each, the first 50 will be offered at the shop for $6,000 apiece, and the rest at $10,000 apiece. Other leather goods designed for the show will be for sale too - so make sure you bring your credit cards!

“©Murakami” opens on Saturday and continues through July 5 at the Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway, at Prospect Park; (718) 683-5000.

You know we're not going to miss this!

via nytimes.com