Takashi Murakami: AND THEN Black
Artwork © 2005 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All rights reserved
This limited-edition screen print by Takashi Murakami depicts the artist’s iconic Mr. DOB character in black on a metallic silver checkerboard background. Mr. DOB, whose name derives from the Japanese slang term dobojite (“why?”), is a sort of alter ego for Murakami and represents his critique of consumer society. The artist developed the anime-inspired mascot in the early 1990s in response to what he described as the “market survivability” of characters such as Mickey Mouse and Pikachu. Its grinning face has since become a pop-cultural phenomenon, appearing not only in artworks but also in a variety of products, including a 2003 line of luxury handbags produced in partnership with Louis Vuitton.
Artist: Takashi Murakami
Producer: Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd.
Date: 2005
Medium: Screen print on paper
Dimensions: 20 1/2 × 20 1/2 inches (52.1 × 52.1 cm)
Edition: Edition 36/50
Signed: Signed, numbered, and dated on recto
Framed: Sold unframed
