High quality and textured offset lithograph with cold stamp and high gloss varnishing on paper. Print hand signed and numbered by the artist of a limited edition of 300. Published by Kaikai Kiki Co.
Miyabi: Kōrin (Kōrin: Courtly Elegance, 2020) by Takashi Murakami is a work that pays homage to Japan’s refined artistic tradition, particularly the Rinpa school, while reinterpreting it through his signature Superflat style. Inspired by the legacy of 17th-century master Ogata Kōrin, Murakami reimagines the classical aesthetics of the Edo period, merging its exquisite ornamentation with a vibrant palette and a contemporary sensibility that resonates with today’s visual culture.
The title of the work refers to two fundamental concepts in Japanese tradition:
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Miyabi (雅), a term evoking courtly grace, refined aesthetics, and the sophisticated taste of the Heian-era aristocracy.
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Kōrin (光琳), in honor of Ogata Kōrin, one of the most influential figures of the Rinpa school, renowned for his asymmetrical compositions, masterful stylization of nature, and exceptional use of golden backgrounds that added luminosity and depth.
Murakami draws from these elements and reinterprets them through a contemporary lens, maintaining the ornamental spirit and visual opulence while infusing the composition with renewed energy, transforming classical serenity into an explosion of color and dynamism.
Following the Rinpa tradition, gold plays a central role in Miyabi: Kōrin. In classical Japanese painting, this element not only enhanced the brilliance and sophistication of compositions but also created an ethereal, almost mystical effect, evoking a world suspended beyond time. Murakami embraces this heritage but translates it into a modern graphic language, where luminosity is achieved through flat, intense, and digitally refined colors rather than traditional gold leaf or mineral pigments.
In this setting, his smiling flowers, a signature motif in his work, take center stage. Inspired by the botanical patterns of the Rinpa school, their rounded, vibrant forms seem to float against the golden background, establishing a dialogue between traditional decorative elements and a playful aesthetic reminiscent of manga, anime, and pop culture.
Through his Superflat concept, Murakami eliminates depth and spatial hierarchies, creating a composition where all elements coexist on the same visual plane. This bidimensionality, far from being merely a stylistic choice, reflects a deeply rooted principle in Japanese art, seen in both Rinpa paintings and ukiyo-e prints, where perspective is replaced by fluid and immersive design.
However, Murakami takes this idea a step further by incorporating an ultra-contemporary aesthetic influenced by digital illustration and mass culture, making Miyabi: Kōrin resonate both with tradition and the visual landscape of the 21st century.
In Miyabi: Kōrin, Murakami achieves a perfect synthesis of past and present, blending the refined elegance of the Rinpa school with the vibrant visual language of his artistic universe. With a masterful balance of sophistication and freshness, the work invites us to rediscover the beauty of Japanese tradition through a contemporary lens, where the brilliance of gold and the exuberance of flowers become symbols of a timeless and universal aesthetic.
