Takashi Murakami, most famous for his vivid pop-art designs and installations, admitted he is not quite happy about copies and knockoffs of his designs.

"Sometimes I'm happy about it, sometimes I'm not happy about it," said Takeshi Murakami during a visit to a Los Angeles art gallery.

"I don't always take it as a compliment," said Murakami, 43, who's been called Japanese Andy Warhol.

Takashi Murakami was invited by Marc Jacobs to create a limited-edition collection for Louis Vuitton in 2002. The collection was so successful that the collaboration continued. Thanks to Murakami, the Louis Vuitton famous canvas now exists in 33 colors.

Takashi Murakami also invented a series of funky cartoon characters, such as Flower Hat Man, LV Hands, Onion Head and Panda which adorn 200 bag and purse models at Louis Vuitton.

Next year, in 2003, Takashi Murakami created a Cherry Blossom Satin canvas which is also wildly popular.

“Takashi Murakami is a wonderful man with a great sense of color,” says Marc Jacobs, the art director at Louis Vuitton, “I love his pop sensibility, I love his absolutely unbridled use of color.”

These days Takeshi Murakami is set to expose contemporary Japanese art abroad.

He curates an exhibition of contemporary Japanese art at the Japan Society in New York City, according to Associated Press, and organized a biannual art festival.

"There should be a lot of Japanese artists who can make it overseas," Murakami said to AP. "I want to introduce them to a Western audience so they can be recognized for the good work they do."

Talika Santhanan. Sources: agencies, Louis Vuitton official web site. 

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