Analysis of Lion Peering into Death's Abyss by Takashi Murakami

The ‘Lion Peering into Death’s Abyss’ was painted by artist Takashi Murakami in 2015. It is a representation of a Japanese Buddhist temple and it is found at Mori Art Museum in Tokyo. Takashi Murakami was inspired after a series of dialogues with Tsuji Nobou, an art historian, to recreate Five Hundred Arhats,a creation by an artist known as Kano Kazunobu. In this research paper, I will conduct valid research on ‘Lion Peering into Death’sAbyss’, Takashi Murakami, his background and social life.

The work done by Murakami can be described as being bold and highlighting his eccentric skills through thought provoking caricatures and wild, cartoonish palettes. The painting features an archway constructed of cartoonish skulls, with a lavishly colored Karajishi (“China-lion”) sat atop the archway, like some form ofcenterpiece. Around the edges we can see what seems to be multicolored water spouting from rocks and pouring onto the arch. There are several easily identifiable Japanese bonsai trees in the background, along with a black sun in the sky.

The work has modern color palettein the style of transcendental futurism or even animation, making it look lively and eye-catching.In this painting, Takashi uses three-dimensional lines and merges them into a full spectrum, so as to reimagine the spiritual deities of the original art into a more modern, animation-style and to playfully inject the religious view of Buddhists into thepiece . His piece of art contains some political humor, which can be described in some ways as an ironiccommentary on religion.

Takashi Murakami was born in 1962. His father was a taxi-driver and his mother a homemaker. His mother, who had a knowledge and interest in designing textiles, fueled Murakami’s interest in art. Sometimes, he would be denied supper and made to go to bed hungry if he had not written any reviews on exhibitions had seen.This quickly taught Murakami how to analyze art,helping to make his name as anart curator and critic. In his early training, he studied the animation art in 1980 and later joined Tokyo National University, where he graduated with a master’s in1988 and a doctoral degree in 1993 .

He has inspired and mentored many young Japanese artists and he is a self-proclaimed guru,‘Kurrieita,’ which means the creator of the next generation. He has employed numerous young artists in his factory, where he nurtures them to be competitive in the industry. He argues that this is promoting social welfare within Japan, and creating job opportunities for the younger generation .

In conclusion, Takashi Murakami is one of the most talented artists working in Japan. His workis recognized all over the world through his use of animation-style art and a parodying of Japanese iconography. He is a skilled artist, using different variables of art, such as merging three-dimensional lines into a spectrum to make his art more lively and attractive to the human eye. His ‘art factory’ has created jobs for a younger generation of artists and he mentors others to compete in the industry.