DIFC welcomed the first Perrotingallery in the Middle East with a celebratory gallery tour and gala dinner at DIFC’s highly commended, Michelin-starred and Gault &Milau-awarded, Japanese fusion restaurant – Clap.

Besides renowned Japanese contemporary artist, Takashi Murakami and Canadian sculptor and painter, Jason Boyd Kinsella, the evening had some of Dubai’s and Paris’ most prominent business tycoons, art collectors, directors of museums, top bankers, members of the media and cultural authority in attendance.

Arif Amiri, CEO of DIFCAuthority, welcomed, among the other VIPs and dignitaries,Emmanuel Perrotin, Founder of Perrotingallery; Tom-David Bastokand Dylan Lessel, co-founders of Perrotin, at Gate Village.

For its grand opening in Dubai, Perrotingallery is showcasing the works of some of the world’s most iconic and renowned artists, including Keith Haring, Damien Hirst, Donna Huanca, Yayoi Kusama, Yoshitomo Nara and Lee Ufan, among others. The gallery is also presenting works by Murakami and Kinsella.

The inaugural exhibition of Murakami’s works in Dubai is a celebration of the artist’s distinctive ‘Superflat’ style, influenced by manga and anime. The exhibition builds on Murakami’s reputation of challenging the contemporary artworld’s definition of ‘high’ and ‘low’ art, blurring the lines between the two. Spanning over 400 square metres, Murakami’s solo show,at ICD Brookfield Place, brings together a selection of paintings, sculptures and installations of various sizes and mediums, with a focus on Mr. DOB, the iconic character created by the artist in 1993.

The exhibition, ‘Mentalverse’ by Kinsella isa new body of sculptures and paintings presented by the artist, displaying his unique reductive portraiture style that explores the commonality of human archetypes. The artist breaks down the personality traits of his characters into distinct geometric units whose shape, colour and size define their individuality. This is based on the Myers-Briggs personality test, anchoring his subjects in the essence of their psychological attributes.

The exhibits are open until Saturday, 28 January 2023 at Perrotin gallery in Gate Village 5 and ICD Brookfield Place in DIFC. Visitors are invited to come and view the artworks by these extraordinary contemporary artists.