Takashi Murakami is a Japanese artist known for his large-scale drawings, paintings and sculptures. Murakami’s work incorporates traditional techniques but through a contemporary visual aesthetic, often drawing from popular culture, sci-fi and his own repeated visual motifs. He has a PhD in Nihonga—the name given to the styles and techniques of early 20th century Japanese painting. Murakami often creates his own cartoons; a mélange of the characteristics of popular characters from the US, Europe and East Asia. Murakami exhibits worldwide and is currently represented by the Gagosian gallery.