A major Takashi Murakami exhibition sees the world in kaleidoscopic colour

Japanese artist Takashi Murakami sees the world in kaleidoscopic colour. His art showcases this, with vivid characters and his unique style which unites traditional Japanese art, while also weaving in the playful energy of anime, mango, otaku and kawaii. Now, The Cleveland Museum of Art presents an expanded version of Takashi Murakami’s ‘Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow’ filling the the Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation Exhibition Hall and Gallery with his paintings and sculptures.

Takashi Murakami 'Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow'

The exhibition was originally displayed at The Broad in Los Angeles in 2022. Now in Ohio, visitors can explore how – after shared historical events and trauma – art can address crisis, healing, outrage, and escapist fantasy. This is something that curator Ed Schad wanted to achieve, telling Wallpaper*, ‘Visitors will find a great survey of Takashi Murakami that they know and love – with his emphasis on popular culture, vibrant design, and exciting collaborations – but they will also find themselves tumbling back in time, into the artistic and historical precedents (whether found in Japan, China, the United States, or beyond) of what they are seeing.

I am especially excited about Murakami exhibiting early drawings and self-portraits which have rarely been shown, alongside new works made in the last couple of years that American audiences have not yet seen. Of great emphasis is Murakami's direct engagement with classical Japanese art and we have many loans that dialogue with Japanese artists like Ogata Kōrin, Kitaōji Rosanjin, and Itō Jakuchū. The most notable element is the Yumedono project, a re-creation of the Dream Hall at Hōryū Temple in Nara, Japan, which was a collaboration with the team of the FX series Shogun. The Yumedono is a staggering achievement and easily one of the most ambitious projects in the recent memory of contemporary art.’

Born and raised in the United States, Schad wanted to immerse himself in Japanese culture in order to bring the exhibition to life. ‘For someone who grew up in the United States, the learning curve of Japanese history is severe,’ shared Schad. ‘However, Murakami has been an excellent guide. I have found myself in video game shops in Tokyo, temples in Nara, and in Shogun castles in Kyoto, all to try to unify and interpret Murakami's work. It has been a rich and satisfying experience, but it has also been a steep climb.’

In addition to the re-creation of the Yumedono from Nara’s Horyuji Temple, the exhibition also features works some of which are more than 30 feet wide. Murakami’s work, albeit colourful and vibrant, also nods to political and environmental issues, along with generational trauma. Schad explains, ‘Murakami looks to the energies that different eras release after massive upheavals. In this exhibition, three will be directly legible: the end of World War II, the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster, and the COVID 19 pandemic. Each of these periods resulted in different cultural reactions.'

Tickets to see 'Takashi Murakami: Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow' are available to book here. On show at The Cleveland Museum of Art from 25 May until 7 September 2025