Renowned Japanese artist Takashi Murakami recently teamed up with toy company Mattel to give the legendary card game UNO a makeover. Murakami designed an entire UNO deck in his signature style, making each card a piece of art with his recurring characters of smiling flowers and colorful animals.
Murakami gained prominence in the art world for successfully bridging the gap between “high” and “low” art. His works have been exhibited in some of the world’s biggest and most important galleries, but he also didn’t shy away from taking part in commercial work like campaigns and commercials. His art is characterized by warm colors, the use of Japanese traditional and popular culture, quirky characters, and a somewhat “psychedelic” vibe.
Murakami-designed UNO deck comes with several extras that make the set a must-have. This includes a mini-poster of his signature smiley flowers as well as additional cards that serve as pieces of the puzzle and form a larger Murakami artwork.
“My kids love UNO, and they play together with their friends. My daughter in particular is aware that she’s really good at it; it’s a very familiar game for me,” said Murakami of the collab. “I hope families who already love UNO will find this Murakami collaboration deck refreshing—I’d be happy if they gift it for some special occasion like an anniversary of some sort.”
Murakami and Mattel’s collaboration is part of Uno’s Artiste Series, which features contemporary artists giving their own stamp to the iconic card game. Other artists who had their work featured in the project include Nina Chanel Abney, Jean-Michel Basquait, and Keith Haring.
