Andy Warhol

ANDY WARHOL (Pittsburgh, USA, 1928 - New York, USA, 1987).
"Kiku," 1983.
Silkscreen, copy 223/300.
Hand signed and justified.
Provenance: Hamilton-Selway Gallery - Los Angeles.
Measurements: 56 x 76.5 cm; 64 x 80 cm (frame).

Andy Warhol's "Kiku" silkscreen print, made in 1983, is part of a very particular series by Warhol, as in it he separates himself from his most exploited and trivialized image by the media. "Kiku" is one of the artist's most visually suggestive series, where Warhol is inspired by the Japanese chrysanthemum, a symbol of longevity, perfection and elegance in Japanese culture. "Kiku" means "chrysanthemum" in Japanese, and this flower has a strong symbolic charge in Japanese culture, where it represents both the imperial family and beauty and purity. Warhol, famous for his fascination with pop culture icons and consumerism, approaches in Kiku a different and more refined aesthetic than in his other works. The silkscreen prints in this series mix vibrant colors with the stylized shapes of chrysanthemum petals, and the colors range from soft, pastel combinations to bright, contrasting hues. Here Warhol demonstrates his ability to reinterpret a traditional element in a modern and accessible language, integrating the Eastern and Western, and projecting a certain calm and thoughtfulness that contrasts with his more frenetic and commercial style. The Kiku series represents a phase in which Warhol explored new techniques and themes, interested in pure beauty and symbolism, showing his versatility and ability to adapt his artistic vision to different cultural contexts.

Andrew Warhol, commonly known as Andy Warhol, was an American visual artist, filmmaker and music producer who played a crucial role in the birth and development of pop art. Considered in his time a guru of modernity, Warhol has been one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. He is currently represented in the world's most important contemporary art museums, such as MoMA, the Metropolitan and the Guggenheim in New York, the Fukoka Museum in Japan, the Kunstmuseum in Basel, the National Art Museum of the 21st Century in Rome, the MUMOK in Vienna, the SMAK in Ghent and the Tate Gallery in London, as well as in the museums that bear his name in Pittsburgh and Medzilaborce (Slovakia).