Inochi, WTF!

Created by the contemporary artist, 村上 隆, Takashi Murakami, Inochi is a bizarre pinheaded kid who has the same urges as any regular kid. The difference is that he is incredibly ugly and rather robotic. Watch these three commercials and tell me if you don't find them a tad weird. (Not entirely safe for work, but not overly naughty either.)



He and several other artists started up an artist's collective entitled カイカイキキ or KaiKaiKiki...head there and click around in either Japanese or English. I promise you won't be assimilated by the collective, but you will be intrigued. Here are some other works by Murakami and if you can figure it out and speak Japanese, here is his livestream. This picture of a Daruma is accompanied by a quote, "I open wide my eyes but see no scenery. I fix my gaze upon my heart." Cool.

One of his earlier works is Superflat Love for Louis Vuitton, also bizarre but not as warped as Inoshi.



Oooh, they made a movie back in '05. KaiKai and Kiki:



Finally, if you're really interested, go on a tour of his Exhibition. Here is part one of seven...



I knew this guy's stuff was familiar! I dug back into MTYW's archives and the last time I was in Tokyo, I went to the Mori Art Museum and bought a file folder of one of his creations!