Takashi Murakami's solo exhibition "Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow" has opened at the Cleveland Museum of Art, expanding on a survey that began at The Broad in Los Angeles in 2022. The centerpiece is a 32-foot-tall reinterpretation of the Yumedono (Dream Hall) from Hōryūji Temple in Nara, Japan, built with set builders from the FX series *Shōgun*. The show features around 100 paintings and sculptures dating back to 1993, including a yellow DOB t-shirt, and new works such as *Kansei Hokkyō Kōrin Flowers* (2025).
The exhibition matters because it reveals the deeper themes of trauma, healing, and collectivity beneath Murakami's bright, anime-inspired aesthetic. Curators Emily Liebert and Ed Schad emphasize that the artist's joyful imagery responds to disasters like the Fukushima nuclear accident, the Tōhoku earthquake, and the COVID-19 pandemic. By integrating a sacred temple structure and inviting contemplation of recent catastrophes, the show challenges viewers to look beyond the surface of Murakami's pop-culture universe.