The Man Behind the Octopus

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Although known for his smiling flowers, multicolor mushrooms, and cute but menacing Mr. DOB figures, Takashi Murakami's latest artwork introduces a new cast of characters, including Buddhist arhats and room-length octopuses—not quite the "colorful artwork from the past," as he describes in one of the videos below. We've put together a video playlist that reveals, in Murakami's words, the evolution of his work (much of which will be on view at the MCA) and his influences, such as nuclear disaster, and the Fukushima earthquake.

The major exhibition Takashi Murakami: The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg takes over the museum on June 6.