Among the stars

Intriguingly, the exhibition also presents archival materials related to the major Japanese contemporary art shows staged internationally from the 1950s to the present, providing original archival material such as installation photographs and exhibition reviews. This shows how the organisers and curators of Stars endeavoured to express the concept of "Japan", and how such attempts were received (some critiques suggest it was far from plain sailing) in the process of unravelling the history of Japanese contemporary art's acceptance in the wider world. As such, for aficionados and amateurs alike, we learn what distinguishes each artist's approach.

Murakami's "Superflat" theory reimagines the sources of traditional Japanese painting and contemporary art through the visual logic of anime and manga. With its richly colorful ornamentation, peculiar deformations, and highly playful imagery, his work expresses a spirit that has pulsed beneath the surface of Japanese culture since the "eccentric" painters of the Edo era through to the contemporary. Murakami's Cherry Blossoms Fujiyama Japan (2020), created especially for Stars, is a playful work that ironically depicts painting as a tourist attraction.