Murakami's Superflat: Constructing a Female Space in a Two-Dimensional Plane

Abstract

Takashi Murakami is one of the most recognized Japanese contemporary artists globally and his "Superflat" art movement brings with it imagery of women that is gross subjectification and yet creates a disruptive space for female artists finding a voice in Japanese Contemporary Art. Looking at a specific art movement such as Superflat can demonstrate how an artistic vehicle can allow for navigation and mediation of the complexities of a changing culture for girls and women. This investigation looks at how female artists have co-opted the stylistic approaches of Superflat to articulate a different form of visuality, although still subsumed in art history as "Superflat," seeking to discover the unique ways that contemporary Japanese women artists have situated an empowered status as creator and spectator in post-modern Japan.