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Takashi Murakami Headlines Sotheby’s First-Ever Auction Dedicated To Contemporary Japanese Art

From Japan With Love Art Exhibition

Takashi Murakami, “Composition”

This October, Sotheby's London had its first-ever auction dedicated to contemporary Japanese art. Entitled From Japan With Love, it included 73 lots, divided into five themes: Neo-Pop, Kawaii, Anime and Manga, Homage to Shunga, and Provoke/Photobooks.

Each theme contained work by renowned creatives. Neo-Pop, for instance, featured colorful pieces by Takashi Murakami and Yayoi Kusama. Kawaii, which focuses on the aesthetic of cuteness, included works by Yoshimoto Nara and American artist KAWS. Additionally, the theme Provoke/Photobooks introduced a selection of striking, visceral photographs by Nobuyoshi Araki, Rinko Kawauchi, and Daido Moriyama.

“We are super excited about this upcoming one-of-a-kind sale: From Japan with Love,” Sotheby's Prints Specialist, Yessica Marks, wrote in the press release prior to the auction's opening on October 6. “It really is an auction like no other, celebrating the popularity and influence of Japanese style which continues to reach new heights. From the whimsical storytelling found in Anime and Manga prints to Kawaii—or more commonly known as ‘the culture of cuteness’—and the kaleidoscopic Neo-Pop prints, the sale showcases the breadth of contemporary Japanese artistic production.”

From Japan With Love succeeds Sotheby's recent Banksy print auction, which tripled its pre-sale estimate. Scroll down to see more art from the auction, and learn more about these works by visiting Sotheby's website.

Sotheby's had its first auction dedicated to contemporary Japanese art.

From Japan With Love Art Exhibition

Takashi Murakami, “Composition”

Entitled From Japan With Love, it featured works by acclaimed artists such as Takashi Murakami…

From Japan With Love Art Exhibition

Takashi Murakami, “Composition”

From Japan With Love Art Exhibition

Takashi Murakami, “Composition”

From Japan With Love Art Exhibition

Takashi Murakami, “Composition”

From Japan With Love Art Exhibition

Takashi Murakami, “Kaikai Kiki and Me; and Flower Smile,” 2008-11

From Japan With Love Art Exhibition

Takashi Murakami, “Open Your Hands Wide”

From Japan With Love Art Exhibition

Takashi Murakami, “Wouldn't it Be Nice if We Could Do Such a Thing”

Yayoi Kusama…

From Japan With Love Art Exhibition

Yayoi Kusama, “High Heels”

From Japan With Love Art Exhibition

Yayoi Kusama, “Pumpkin (Red)”

From Japan With Love Art Exhibition

Yayoi Kusama, “Pumpkin Red and Pumpkin Yellow”

From Japan With Love Art Exhibition

Yayoi Kusama, “Yayoi Kusama Street”

Yoshitomo Nara…

From Japan With Love Art Exhibition

Yoshitomo Nara, “Cosmic Girls Eyes Open Eyes Closed”

From Japan With Love Art Exhibition

Yoshitomo Nara, “Marching on a Butterbur Leaf”

…and KAWS.

From Japan With Love Art Exhibition

KAWS, “Resting Place (Black)”

From Japan With Love Art Exhibition

KAWS, “BFF (Blue),” 2017

Sotheby's: Website | Facebook | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Sotheby's.

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Margherita Cole

Margherita Cole is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met and illustrator based in Southern California. She holds a BA in Art History with a minor in Studio Art from Wofford College, and an MA in Illustration: Authorial Practice from Falmouth University in the UK. She wrote and illustrated an instructional art book about how to draw cartoons titled 'Cartooning Made Easy: Circle, Triangle, Square' that was published by Walter Foster in 2022.
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