Panda and Panda Cubs 2015

Curator: Look at this piece. Takashi Murakami’s "Panda and Panda Cubs," created in 2015 using mixed media and acrylic paint. It's quite a statement. Editor: It certainly is… immediately, the saccharine cuteness of the pandas clashes violently with the mountain of skulls they’re perched on. A darkly humorous contrast. Curator: Right, but it’s essential to consider Murakami’s socio-political commentary here. Japan has a complex relationship with cuteness—kawaii culture is huge, but underneath, there can be a deep unease and anxieties about consumerism and social pressures. How do these happy images relate to modern trauma? Editor: I agree. Considering the political landscape is essential when looking at artwork. I see this reflecting back to the rising cult of celebrity. This reminds me of Damien Hirst, only even more critical, while the pop-art aesthetic flattens everything to the same level of garish consumer object. But, do you think this work has become co-opted within the consumer system? Curator: Absolutely. The commodification of art is always a risk when the artist becomes as much a brand as their artwork. This also draws on elements of traditional folk art with a modern spin – graffiti or naive art as many might call it. It creates a feedback loop between art as social commentary and art as a high-end commodity, mirroring anxieties surrounding contemporary society. Editor: Do you find the work problematic at all or simply an open interrogation? Curator: Both. I think it's an attempt to interrogate hyper-consumerism by existing squarely within it. Whether or not it succeeds is open for debate and ultimately, subjective interpretation. I consider how our notions of "cute" and "beauty" may intersect and even disguise harsher realities when I look at this piece. Editor: And I am left thinking how Murakami places himself, the art world, and his audience into this visual culture he’s examining. Thanks for sharing. Curator: Indeed. Thank you for lending your perspective.