When Lowbrow goes Highbrow | The Superflat Movement
Superflat is a postmodern art movement, founded in 2001 by Artist, Takashi Murakami. It's influences include manga, anime, Japanese graphic art, pop culture, as well as the shallow emptiness of Japanese consumer culture and capitalism.
I was at design school around the time this movement formed, and because I was already creating in a manga and Japanese design influenced style, ended up writing multiple essays about it. 🤓
I love that this movement pays tribute to the history and importance of manga in Japanese art and culture. It’s also incredible that what could be considered a low brow art form like comic art, has become highly sought after and very expensive collectable art.
The movement initially poked fun at wasteful consumerism, but went on to become synonymous with big name brands like Louis Vuitton and Kanye West.
Although my passion for Murakami’s work has faded a bit, perhaps because of this hypocrisy, I still respect that he founded a movement which pays tribute to Japanese (and now global) obsession with manga.
About Natalie Ex Design Studio
Hello, my name is Nat. I’m a qualified and experienced Illustrator and Graphic Designer in Melbourne. I have a Bachelor of Visual Communication Design and over 18 years of industry experience in illustration, graphic design and digital marketing.
The trademark Natalie Ex aesthetic is a playful and polished clean line style, inspired by my half Japanese upbringing.