Arab News Japan

Takashi Murakami’s Tokyo-based gallery Kaikai Kiki has taken a blow due to the financial ramifications of the novel coronavirus COVID-19. The Japanese contemporary artist’s company is facing bankruptcy, halting his artistic free flow.

For nine years, Murakami dedicated his time to the completion of a project titled ‘Jellyfish Eyes Part 2: Mahashankh.’ He described the termination of the sci-fi feature film as “heartbreaking.”

The artist’s interest in sci-fi stems back to his years in high school justifying how this project inextricably bound to his “childish dreams,” as he says.

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Aside from its symbolic weight, Murakami invested a hefty budget dedicated to the completion of the feature film augmenting to the gravity of this artistic loss.

While ‘Jellyfish Eyes Part 2: Mahashankh’ intended to represent the hardships of life, the termination of the project proved a source of inspiration for his upcoming one. Murakami now aims to rework the film and present it into a series of episodes, extending the lifeline of Jellyfish Eyes.

Despite his financial lows, Murakami’s career is still on a high as he continues work as the franchise director for Kanye West and Kid Cudi’s animated show Kids See Ghosts. It has also intensified his understanding of art, where he  publicly questioned, on Instagram, what it means to be an artist. He has also showcased progress shots of a large- scale sculpture intended for the WallaWalla Foundry.

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