Japan coming to AGNSW

Art lovers hankering for another fix of Japanese pop art superstar Takashi Murakami’s quirky, joyous paintings and sculptures won’t have to wait much longer, or even travel to Japan.

The Art Gallery of New South Wales has just announced a major retrospective of Murakami’s work, running from December 5, 2026 to July 18, 2027.

A cornerstone of the Sydney International Art Series, the exhibition spans three decades of Murakami’s career, providing a rare opportunity for a super-deep dive into Murakami’s Superflat aesthetic.

AGNSW director Maud Page is keen to emphasise Murakami’s ability to transform our cultural worldview.

“Takashi Murakami’s singular vision has transformed how we understand contemporary visual culture, and this will be a rare opportunity to step directly inside his joyful creative universe to experience the full spectrum of his phenomenal work,” she said.

AGNSW has a longstanding relationship with Murakami.

In 2019, it commissioned the wild, epic painting Japan Supernatural: Vertiginous After Staring At The Empty World Too Intensely, I Found Myself Trapped In The Realm Of Lurking Ghosts And Monsters.

The complexity of this vast work reminds you that although Murakami is often compared to Andy Warhol — witness collaborations with Billie Eilish, Louis Vuitton, Dom Perignon and BLACKPINK — his practice is historically and academically rigorous.

It regularly references not just otaku (geek) culture but nihonga (traditional Japanese-style) painting and Edo-period yokai (ghosts and monsters) mythology.

In his Miyoshi studio, Murakami operates with the discipline of a professional sportsman rather than a bohemian.

“An artist is like an athlete,” he says.

“Every day you’re training.”

Eschewing the cliches of drug-fuelled creativity, he relies on pure endurance.

“I just have to concentrate for a long time,” he admits.

“It’s a super-boring process!”

His work is anything but super-boring, as visitors to the Sydney exhibition will discover as they wander among the immersive installations, videos, sculptures, and new works premiering exclusively in Australia.

For arts and culture enthusiasts travelling from WA, there’s the added attraction of enjoying a unique architectural experience, with the exhibition occupying both the Ainsworth Family Gallery and the industrial-chic Nelson Packer Tank in the Naala Badu building. Not to mention the opportunity to check out Philippe Parreno: 5 Moons at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (opening November 21).

Other shows opening even earlier in 2026 but still running in 2027 include Avatar: Forms Of Vishnu and Sidney Nolan: Origins — both at AGNSW — and Collection: MCA x Tate at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.

+ Tickets for the Takashi Murakami exhibition will be available soon. Sign up for the AGNSW Artmail newsletter for early access: artgallery.nsw.gov.au/whats-on/exhibitions/takashi-murakami/ticket-presales