This past weekend we stopped by Blum & Poe for the opening of Takashi Murakami’s latest solo exhibition “Arhat.” This is the first time Mr Murakami has shown in the United States since his travelling survey from 2007-09,  and what we saw was a fantastic series of new paintings and sculptures that remind us of the playful nature of the Japanese artist's work. Definitely a must see if you are in the Los Angeles area. Photos and more after the jump…  

A few things to look forward to with news of both an exhibition and film showing of Takashi Murakami. First, Murakami's film Jellyfish Eyes will have its world premiere at LACMA on April 8, 2013. Second, Murakami will have an exhibition at Los Angeles gallery Blum & Poe opening on April 13, 2013. Add 1 + 2 and you got yourself a reason to be in Los Angeles at the beginning of April. 

This is one we wish we could head to Hong Kong for, Takashi Murakami's first show in Hong Kong at Gagosian Gallery. This exhibition explores one of the central dichotomies of his art—between joy and terror, his optimistic magnanimity as an artist and his pessimistic perspective on postwar Japan. It opens/opened tonight, November 29, in Hong Kong.

Cult-followed and fashion staple Supreme has been in the news quite a bit in the past week, first with a huge spread in the NY Times, and now they will have a skate deck retrospective exhibition at the 032c Workshop in Berlin opening Saturday, December 1. The deck collaboration series for Supreme has seen some of the biggest names in contemporary art stop in for a few deck designs: Damien Hirst, George Condo, Takashi Murakami, Richard Prince, KAWS, Marilyn Minter, and Futura, to name a few.

Our good friends in Mexico City made it out to the 2012 Mexico Contemporary Art Fair (MACO) last week, and from the looks of it, there was a ton of good booths and artists on display in Mexico City, including Takashi Murakami, Dr Lakra, George Condo, Pedro Friedeberg, Maya Hayuk, Clayton Brothers, and other heavyweights of the contemporary art world. A few notes and lots of photos after the jump . . .

We noted on the site the other day that famed Japanese artist Takashi Murakami will open Murakami—Ego at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar on February 9, featuring 60 works from 1997 to the present, with new works created for this specific exhibition. Culture blog Honeyee captured a few photos from inside the space...

Something tells us that Takashi Murakami is a fun person to be around. The Superflat artist is set to have a major museum show, Murakami—Ego, open at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar on February 9, featuring 60 works from 1997 to the present, with new works created for this specific exhibition. Anyone going to Doha?

We received a nice message today from Takashi Murakami's Kaikai Kiki Co in advance of their benefit auction with Christie's for the victims of Japan’s Tohoku-Pacific Earthquake. The benefit will include artists such as Damien Hirst, KAWS, Jeff Koons, Mr., Murakami, Yoshitomo Nara, Gabriel Orozco, Aya Takano, Luc Tuymans, and many others.

Whenever Japanese artist, Takashi Murakami, has an exhibition, the world pays attention, so even a tiny sneak into what Murakami has lined up for his Gagosian London show draws interest. So we have two pieces of what is to come. . .

This is a two-way street of good decisions: the Museum of Modern Art and Kanye West have teamed up for pop-superstar Mr. West to play perform at their annual Party in the Garden benefit taking place on May 10, 2011 in the MoMA's Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden.