Painting and Branded Merch Will be Part of Godzilla’s Booth at ComplexCon in Long Beach, Nov 2 - 3 Source: Toho Co., Ltd. press release Official Site: godzilla.com Special Thanks to Chris Robins

Godzilla painting by Takashi Murakami. Photo courtesy of Toho. ©Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. TM & ©TOHO CO., LTD.

Godzilla, The King of the Monsters, bursts forth from the elements in a new painting from Japanese artist Takashi Murakami to celebrate Godzilla’s 65th Anniversary. The original painting will be seen for the first time at ComplexCon this weekend in Long Beach, November 2 – 3. The 11ft high painting will be on display at the Godzilla booth (E23) along with exclusive Godzilla merchandise including some lines featuring Murakami’s Godzilla artwork. “We’re honored that an artist as iconic as Takashi Murakami has created artwork that so beautifully captures the essence of Godzilla,” said Keiji Ota, CGO (Chief Godzilla Officer) at Toho. “We’re celebrating Godzilla’s 65th anniversary starting on November 3rd and continuing throughout the year, and we couldn’t think of a better way to kick it off than with this sublime piece of art from Takashi Murakami.” Takashi Murakami is the originator of the Superflat theory, which reconstructs Japanese traditional paintings and the origin of Japanese contemporary art through visual premises of anime and manga. In the final installment of his Superflat trilogy of curated exhibitions, Little Boy: The Arts of Japan’s Exploding Subculture (New York, 2005), he selected Godzilla as one of the representative characters of post-war Japan. Godzilla first appeared in Toho’s GODZILLA (1954), a classic monster movie widely regarded as a masterpiece, and celebrates the 65th anniversary of the release on Godzilla Day, November 3rd. Over time, Godzilla and the franchise itself evolved, becoming a metaphor for social commentary in the real world, turning Godzilla into a globally recognized icon and influencing many creative minds for 65 years now. Toho is celebrating Godzilla’s 65th anniversary officially on November 3rd, with more fun events, activities and merchandise to come throughout the year, so make sure you’re following the King of the Monsters on Instagram and Twitter for future announcements!

Takashi Murakami photo by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photo courtesy of Toho. ©Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd.

About Takashi Murakami

Born in 1962 in Tokyo, Japan, Takashi Murakami is the originator and proponent of Superflat theory, which reconstructs Japanese traditional paintings and the origin of Japanese contemporary art through visual premises of anime and manga. Murakami has created numerous characters including Miss Ko2 and Mr. DOB that reflect the otaku culture and presents them in the forms of intentionally kitsch sculptures and acutely two-dimensional paintings antithetical to the Western perspective techniques. Murakami’s cultural theory based on subcultures not only deconstructs the highbrow/lowbrow hierarchy but critically illustrates the post-World War II Japanese psychology, establishing a discourse unique to Japan in the increasingly globalizing art scene. The artist continues to attract a wide-ranging audience beyond contemporary art through his multifaceted activities including his collaboration with Louis Vuitton and focuses on street culture and contemporary ceramics. The final installment of his Superflat trilogy of curated exhibitions, Little Boy: The Arts of Japan’s Exploding Subculture (New York, 2005), was awarded The Best Thematic Museum Show in New York by AICA that year. His first retrospective, ©MURAKAMI (2007 - 2009) toured four cities in North America and Europe, starting with the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. He has since been holding major solo exhibitions around the world, including at the Palace of Versailles (2010), Al Riwaq Exhibition Hall (Doha, 2012), the Mori Art Museum (Tokyo, 2015), the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art (Moscow, 2017), and Tai Kwun Contemporary (Hong Kong, 2019).

About Toho

Toho Company, Limited, is a Japanese entertainment studio focused on the development, production, exhibition, and distribution of powerful content for motion pictures, television and theater. Founded in 1932, it remains a prominent force in bringing brands and original storytelling with versatile talents to audiences worldwide. Its subsidiaries include Toho Cinemas, the highest grossing exhibition company in Japan.