Planet 66; Summer Vacation 2004

Takashi Murakami created ‘Planet 66; Summer Vacation’ with screen printing on canvas. Look at that blue! It’s as clear as a summer’s day. And those little happy creatures floating in the sky, they remind me of dreams and childhood memories. I can almost feel the sun on my skin. I imagine Murakami in his studio, carefully placing each color, each character, building up this world layer by layer. It’s a world full of joy and optimism, but there’s something else there too, something a little bit melancholic. Those flowers with smiling faces, are they really happy, or are they just pretending? You can see echoes of Warhol, of Japanese pop art, but it's still so uniquely Murakami. We all carry our influences, like whispers in our ear, guiding our brushstrokes, our choices. It’s this constant conversation across time that makes art so alive.