This is the ultimate stamp of approval if we’ve ever seen it…
Takashi Murakami, the wizard of all things art and beautiful has ventured into the NFT (non-fungible token) world, joining his contemporaries in the electronic space. The new piece has some special meaning too, being based on the game that got his kids through lockdown; of course we’re talking about Animal Crossing.
Working with former Sonic Team programmer and director Yoshihisa Hashimoto (every 90s kids is already sold), the art-extraordinaire has come through with some signature Murakami flowers in 24 x 24 pixel art. There’s a cool little buddhist nod as well, with the artwork having 108 variations, reflective of the Buddhist idea of earthly desires.
Speaking on the NFT and reason behind it, Murakami said “The transformation of the reality of virtual world for me occurred during this pandemic when I saw the way my children interact with Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
“They were watching some fireworks display within the game while talking with their school friends, who they could no longer meet in person, through Zoom, admiring how beautiful it was,” while also adding that what he saw was “the reality of the shifting values,” which, now we think about it, is pretty bloody dead-on. It seems this shift has lit a fire under Murakami, who is working on multiple projects with Hashimoto, both in and out of the NFT space.
For more info on Murakami’s art collection head here. Check out his first NFT below.
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