Takashi Murakami: Uneasy About Knockoffs

He may not have an instantly recognizable name, but Japanese pop artist Takashi Murakami's cartoon-like designs have arguably become as familiar in the United States as fellow import Hello Kitty.

That's because Murakami's cheery, pastel-hued flowers on Louis Vuitton handbags have become hot fashion items and inspired thousands of knockoffs - a phenomena that he said leaves him overwhelmed and sometimes uneasy.

"Sometimes I'm happy about it, sometimes I'm not happy about it," Murakami said Saturday during a visit to the Los Angeles art gallery Blum & Poe.

Speaking through a Japanese interpreter, the artist, who's been called "Japan's Andy Warhol," said he's not always flattered to see his work copied by counterfeiters.

"I don't always take it as a compliment," said Murakami, 43. "(The phenomena) is sometimes hard to process."

Murakami was in town to promote the works of Chiho Aoshima, a 30-year-old artist who works at his Kaikai Kiki production studio outside of Tokyo. Like Murakami's paintings and sculptures, her computer animation and sculpture blend traditional Japanese painting style with the contemporary aesthetics of Japanese comic books.

Murakami also curated an exhibition of contemporary Japanese art running at the Japan Society in New York.

The two exhibits are part of Murakami's effort to expose co

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