Anime Starts Here: Japanese Subculture Reimagines Tradition

Appointed Head of Department in 2019 with over 20 years of experience in art connoisseurship, business development and auction management, Mr. Murakami has been instrumental in reinforcing Christie’s leadership in the global performance of Japanese and Korean art.

From sourcing and research to catalogue and exhibition production, from marketing and client strategy to post sales management, Mr. Murakami's depth of knowledge and leadership across the sales process has expanded the department's global reach and market shares over the last 5 years. His achievements also include the management and sale of multiple prestigious private collections including the Robert Hatfield Ellsworth Collection, the Irving Collection and the Utterberg Collection; advocating for the inclusion of new artists and genres; launching the department’s first online sale, and successfully promoting Japanese and Korean art during both Asia Week and Classic Week.

Mr. Murakami was a business liaison in Christie’s Tokyo before relocating to New York as a specialist in 2011, where he became Head of Sales in 2014. His prolific career in Asia and North America enabled him to establish strong relationships with private collectors, museums, and gallery owners around the globe.

Mr. Murakami holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Sophia University in Tokyo.

Hua Zhou is a junior specialist in the Japanese and Korean Art department in Christie’s New York and is responsible for researching and cataloguing works for the department, as well as sourcing and marketing. She has worked on auctions of various prestigious collections, such as the Springfield Museum and the Utterberg Collection. Prior to joining the team, she received her Bachelor of Arts in History of Art and Architecture from Boston University and a Master’s Degree in Art Business from Sotheby’s Institute of Art. She also studied abroad to Sophia University in Tokyo. Mandarin Chinese being her mother tongue, she is also fluent in Japanese. Hua has successfully completed training in the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice facilitated by a certified AQB instructor from the Appraisers Association of America.