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Takashi Murakami Creates Monstrous Original Artwork to Celebrate Godzilla’s 65th Anniversary
NEW
Nov. 07, 2019
The Painting Along with Branded Merch Could be Found at Godzilla’s Booth at ComplexCon in Long Beach This Past Weekend
Godzilla, The King of the Monsters bursts forth from the elements in a new painting from Japanese artist Takashi Murakami to celebrate Godzilla’s 65th Anniversary. The original painting was seen for the first time at ComplexCon this past weekend in Long Beach, November 2 – 3. The 11ft high painting was on display at the Godzilla booth along with exclusive Godzilla merchandise including some lines featuring Murakami’s Godzilla artwork.
“We’re honored that an artist as iconic as Takashi Murakami has created artwork that so beautifully captures the essence of Godzilla,” said Keiji Ota, CGO (Chief Godzilla Officer) at Toho. “We’re celebrating Godzilla’s 65th anniversary starting on November 3rd and continuing throughout the year, and we couldn’t think of a better way to kick it off than with this sublime piece of art from Takashi Murakami.”
Takashi Murakami is the originator of the Superflat theory, which reconstructs Japanese traditional paintings and the origin of Japanese contemporary art through visual premises of anime and manga. In the final installment of his Superflat trilogy of curated exhibitions, Little Boy: The Arts of Japan’s Exploding Subculture (New York, 2005), he selected Godzilla as one of the representative characters of post-war Japan.
Godzilla first appeared in Toho’s “Godzilla” (1954), a classic monster movie widely regarded as a masterpiece, and celebrated the 65th anniversary of the release on Godzilla Day, November 3rd. Over time, Godzilla and the franchise itself evolved, becoming a metaphor for social commentary in the real world, turning Godzilla into a globally recognized icon and influencing many creative minds for 65 years now.
Toho celebrated Godzilla’s 65th anniversary officially on November 3rd, with more fun events, activities and merchandise to come throughout the year, so make sure you’re following the King of the Monsters on Instagram and Twitter for future announcements!
©Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd.
TM&©TOHO CO., LTD.