Miss ko² 1997

Takashi Murakami made this anime-inspired sculpture, Miss Ko², and it really messes with how we see and feel. Look at the way the surface is so smooth, almost like it’s been digitally rendered, yet it’s a real, physical object. The colors are bright, almost synthetic. Then you’ve got this playful but unnerving pose, a kind of invitation that feels… complicated. The legs are so long, stretched, and unreal. I find my eyes drawn to them and they embody that tension between desire and something a little off. Murakami is like Warhol’s art-world descendent, but he brings such a unique blend of Japanese pop culture with a savvy understanding of art history. He gets at something profound about our desires and anxieties.