Takashi Murakami to set up animation studio in Los Angeles

by Chris MaGee

Japanese pop artist, designer and animator Takashi Murakami has announced that a he will be opening an animation studio in Los Angeles by the summer of 2009. This will make three studios for the artist, famed for having created the "superflat style", pop art that liberally borrows from anime and manga. MUrakami already has studios set up in Tokyo and New York.

It seems like a logical move as Murakami has become increasingly popular with the Hollywood set since his design collaboration with designer Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton on a line of handbags. Now the 46-year-old artist has gone onto directing animated music videos for rapper Kanye West and has Christina Ricci and Pharrell Williams amongst his army of celebrity fans.

For more on Murakami and his Kaikai Kiki Co. click here and here. Thanks to Anime News Network for this story.