With two shows by Canadian painter Jason Boyd Kinsella and Japanese pop art legend Takashi Murakami, Perrotin launched its first gallery in the Middle East. Emmanuel Perrotin’s gallery, which has locations in Paris, Hong Kong, New York, Seoul, Tokyo, and Shanghai, is attempting to expand its presence in the Arab world.
The gallery, which opens in Dubai on Friday, is always eager to introduce its artists’ voices to new audiences, according to Perrotin. He continues, “We want our artists to be able to participate in the projects being developed throughout the region around art.”
To commemorate the event, Perrotin is displaying several Murakami pieces that provide a broad introduction to his enormous body of work. “I met Takashi Murakami over 30 years ago; he is an artist I truly like,” says Perrotin. “Takashi, in my opinion, is a mentor to a whole generation of artists and creatives in addition to being one of the most significant painters of his time.”
Murakami assembled a collection of his works for his debut exhibition in the UAE, kicking things off with a series of sculptures centered on his figure Mr. Dob, who was initially inspired by Mickey Mouse, along with the Japanese characters Doraemon and Sonic the Hedgehog. The artist hopes the display will serve as an excellent entry point for UAE art enthusiasts.
The “Superflat” aesthetic of the Murakami.Flowers project combines the aesthetics of old Japanese video games. His robotic Arhat sculpture, which imagines the artist as one of the Arhats—the clairvoyant students of the Buddha—is also on display.
Murakami is one of the most well-known contemporary artists in the world, sometimes compared to fellow pop art pioneer Andy Warhol in terms of ambition and influence.
Perrotin has been able to enter the area with a powerful statement thanks to its cooperation with ICD Brookfield Place. The displays from the masters, according to Malak Abu-Qaoud, curator of arts and culture at ICD Brookfield Place, will support continuing initiatives to assist regional artists. “ICD Brookfield Place Arts programme will always seek to champion and nurture local talent, but we also look to foster community and create a cultural ecosystem. We are delighted to have this opportunity to do that and to offer the space to showcase these extraordinary works to a broad, local audience.” Dubai is the “ideal” location in the Middle East to establish a permanent gallery, she concludes.