Takashi Murakami Reworks Trauma and Tradition at Cleveland Museum of Art
From playful designs to post-disaster reflections, ‘Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow’ confronts Japan’s past and present.
Summary
- Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow by Takashi Murakami is opening at the Cleveland Museum of Art and will be on view through September 7.
- Many of the works use shared historical trauma as a point of departure, reimagined through the artist’s signature electric style.
- The show features several never-before-seen and new works including a “dream hall” in the museum’s atrium.
Takashi Murakami is touching down in Ohio to unveil Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow, his latest exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA). Expanding on its initial 2022 presentation at The Broad, the show casts the celebrated artist in a more edgy and acidic light, featuring never-before-seen installations and exclusive new works that take viewers beneath the surface of his candy-colored, Superflat world.
The exhibition draws titular cues from “In the Land of the Dead, Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow” (2014), an 82-foot-long painting inspired by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Serving as both a visual anchor and thematic guide, the piece reflects Murakami’s continued interest in the cultural aftermath of tragedy. Through bold hues and layered symbolism, he navigates historical trauma — the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the COVID-19 pandemic — bringing light to how creative resilience and grief often go hand-in-hand.
At the heart of the museum’s Family Atrium lies a yumedono, or “dream hall,” modeled in a traditional Kyoto architectural style. Inspired in part by the 2024 series Shōgun, Murakami tapped the show’s art directors and co-creators to create the installation. Inside, four new paintings reimagine traditional animal motifs with future-facing sensibility.
Additional highlights include a handful of works from the museum’s permanent collection, digitally reimagined by the artist – a technique recently used in his concurrent JAPONISME exhibition at Gagosian in New York. Beyond the works on view, for $5,000 USD, CMA is also offering a series of custom portraits sketched and signed by the artist himself. Offered in three styles, all proceeds from the limited-edition print sales will go towards a recreation of the show’s yumedono.
The exhibition will be open to the public starting May 25 and will remain on view through September 7. The first 50,000 visitors to tour will receive a free, Cleveland-exclusive trading card. Head to the museum’s website to book your tickets now.
The Cleveland Museum of Art
11150 East Blvd,
Cleveland, OH 44106
