Art Gallery of NSW To Present An Australian-First Retrospective Of Takashi Murakami

In an Australian-first, the Art Gallery of NSW (AGNSW) will present a retrospective exhibition of internationally acclaimed Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, celebrating three decades of work from one of the world’s most influential and recognisable contemporary artists.

Tracing Murakami’s practice from the 1990s, the Sydney-exclusive exhibition brings together paintings, sculptures, video and large-scale installations, charting the artist’s emergence as a defining figure of contemporary art and popular culture. 

The event is part of the 2026-27 Sydney International Art Series, Destination NSW’s yearly art tourism drive to the city, which will also see the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) present the first major Australian exhibition of French artist Philippe Parreno.

“Securing the works of an internationally acclaimed artist like Takashi Murakami is a fantastic coup for this year’s Sydney International Art Series,” said jobs and tourism minister Steve Kemper. “We are thrilled to collaborate with the Art Gallery on this world-leading exhibition, which not only enriches our state’s vibrant arts scene but also supports businesses and jobs by attracting art lovers from across the country and the globe.”

Often referred to as Japan’s Andy Warhol, Murakami is one of the most significant voices in contemporary art today. With a PhD in the traditional Japanese painting style Nihonga, a practice preserving the country’s long-held aesthetic values, he merges pop culture with deep knowledge of Japanese religion, folklore and art history.

Murakami has previously collaborated with cultural icons such as Issey Miyake, Virgil Abloh, Marc Jacobs, BLACKPINK, and Billie Eilish, and has had his work exhibited across 15 rooms at the Palace of Versailles.

In 2019, the Gallery commissioned Murakami to create a new work, Japan Supernatural: Vertiginous After Staring at the Empty World Too Intensely, I Found Myself Trapped in the Realm of Lurking Ghosts and Monsters, a mural-sized painting of acrylic, gold leaf, and glitter, for its Sydney International Art Series 2019–20 exhibition, Japan Supernatural. 

“Takashi Murakami’s singular vision has transformed how we understand contemporary visual culture, and this will be a rare opportunity to step directly inside his joyful creative universe to experience the full spectrum of his phenomenal work,” said AGNSW director Maud Page.

“We revel in our longstanding relationship with Murakami and are so thrilled to be collaborating in the development of this exhibition, which we will be proud to share with audiences from across Australia and beyond.”

Takashi Murakami runs from December 5, 2026 to July 18, 2027 at the Art Gallery of NSW.