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Even if the name doesn’t ring a bell, the work of Takashi Murakami is unmistakable. Regarded as Japan’s answer to Andy Warhol, Murakami is a cultural superstar whose influence stretches from the gilded halls of the Palace of Versailles to sold-out concert stadiums.
For the first time, a comprehensive retrospective of Murakami’s three-decade, celebrity-catching career will reach Australian shores, with an upcoming show at Art Gallery of NSW (AGNSW) to trace his practice from his explosive impact in the 1990s to new, yet-to-be-revealed works.
Art Gallery of NSW director Maud Page is an admirer of the artist’s technicolour universe and his Superflat aesthetic and philosophy which posits there is no distinction between high and low culture.
“There is no one like Murakami,” Page said. “The reason he is so acclaimed worldwide is that he holds the zeitgeist in his hands, merging the popular with intriguing, intricate art historical details. With a PhD in Japanese art history, Murakami moulds knowledge into sugar candy for the brain and the soul.”
Murakami is one half of what is being billed as a “summer of blockbusters” for the 2026-27 Sydney International Art Series.
Across the harbour, the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) is presenting the first major Australian exhibition of celebrated French artist Philippe Parreno. While Murakami is the master of the visual icon of the smiling flower and cartoon characters, Parreno describes himself as an “exhibition producer” – specialising in the immersive experience.
Their arrival is part of Destination NSW’s annual tourism art drive to Sydney at a time when both institutions are face increasing cost pressures – the art gallery cut 45 jobs last year and the MCA is still settling in admission fees introduced in January 2025.
Parreno is renowned for his boundary-pushing works including Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait (2006), a feature film tracking every move of soccer legend Zinedine Zidane during a single match.
For Anywhen (2016), Parreno took over London’s Tate Modern using light and sound to create a space that “thinks”. Parreno famously floated helium-filled balloons in the shape of cartoon strip speech bubbles through some of the world’s biggest galleries.
In Sydney, Parreno will use AI, robotics, sound, and light to transform multiple floors of the MCA into a “living environment” called 5 Moons that “responds to the natural rhythms of Sydney Harbour – ts tides, sun, and lunar cycles”.
Director of MCA Australia, Suzanne Cotter, has been following Parreno’s work for some years. “Philippe is a worldmaker,” she said.
“He has this ability to transform a place and space into something truly extraordinary. When I visited him in his studio in Paris several years ago to talk about an exhibition at the MCA, we discussed how Australia and the unique location here on the shores of Sydney Harbour made it the perfect location to bring his extraordinary vision to life.” No two visits will be the same.
Murakami’s journey to Sydney included a stop at the Palace of Versailles in 2010 where his 5.5-metre golden Oval Buddha, his smiling flowers and cartoon characters famously took over 15 rooms in the palace’s Hall of Mirrors and the apartments of the king and the queen.
His psychedelic aesthetic draws from Japanese cartoons known as manga and pop culture, while famously adorning Louis Vuitton leather, Kanye West album covers, and collaborations with Billie Eilish, Pharrell Williams, and K-pop sensations NewJeans.
For the gallery’s 2019 Japan Supernatural show he produced a mural sized painting of acrylic, gold leaf and glitter featuring ghosts, monsters and other supernatural beings from the Edo world.
Takashi Murakami runs from December 5, 2026 to July 18, 2027 at the Art Gallery of NSW. Philippe Parreno: 5 Moons opens at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia on November 21 until April 26, 2027.
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