Takashi Murakami Birthday: Japanese Contemporary Artist Turns 51 (PHOTOS)

Today is the 51st birthday of Takashi Murakami, the Japanese contemporary artist and founder of Kaikai Kiki Co, Ltd. In case you aren't familiar with his work, the "Japanese Andy Warhol" is famous for coining the term "Superflat" to describe Japanese pop-driven post-war art, and his paintings and sculptures sell for millions at auction. Murakami was born in Tokyo in 1962, and became an early manga fan. At school, he became immersed in the traditional style of Nihonga, a subject he later studied in his Ph.D. program before losing interest in the strict conventions associated with the craft. It was at this point that the artist became dedicated to contemporary art, throwing Western...