The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of May 30, 2026

A vertically oriented acrylic and canvas painting depicts Shōtoku Taishi as a larger figure flanked by two attendants, all with light skin tones. Shōtoku wears a tan robe and patterned red and dark blue drape, holding a gold incense burner. To our left, an attendant holds a box. To our right, another holds a gold wand. They stand on a patterned floor beneath a red textile drape against a green and pink background.

Shōtoku Taishi at Sixteen

2025

Takashi Murakami

Japan
acrylic on canvas mounted on aluminum frame
121.8 x 57.5 cm (47 15/16 x 22 5/8 in.)
Gift of Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. 2025.156
© 2025 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Takashi Murakami also recreated a sculpture of Shōtoku at age two in the CMA’s collection.

Description

At the Cleveland Museum of Art, the exhibition Takashi Murakami: Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow (2025) began with the artist’s recreation of the Yumedono, or Dream Hall, from the Hōryūji Temple complex near Nara, Japan. The Yumedono is thought to reside in the location of the home of Prince Shōtoku Taishi (c. 573–c. 622), who played a significant role in introducing Buddhism to Japan. When Murakami discovered a painting of Shōtoku at age 16 in the CMA’s Japanese collection, the artist decided to recreate it in the form of this homage work.
  • 2025
    Takashi Murakami
    2025
    Takashi Murakami, Japan, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    2025
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Oh
  • Takashi Murakami: Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (May 16-September 7, 2025).
  • {{cite web|title=Shōtoku Taishi at Sixteen|url=false|author=Takashi Murakami|year=2025|access-date=30 May 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2025.156