L.A. galleries pop with Japanese influence

WITH 20,000 square feet of cyborg sexpots, Superflat mushrooms and psychedelic monsters -- not to mention a fully operational Louis Vuitton boutique -- “(copyright) Murakami” at the Geffen Contemporary takes up a lot of real estate. But that’s not to say the Takashi Murakami retrospective is the only act in town. Several local exhibits featuring Japanese-born or -influenced artists offer alternatives to the MOCA blockbuster.

At first glance, L.A. painter Keisho Okayama’s understated canvases seem unrelated to Murakami’s pop creations. But a closer look reveals that both artists are dealing with more than meets the eye. Known as a figurative painter, Okayama has a new show, “Out of Mind: Selected Works 2005-2007,” at FIG in Bergamot Station that is primarily abstract, save one image titled “Face.”

“What interests me most is whether an image feels real or not,” Okayama says. What is “real”? According to Okayama, “It must have some sort of internal life.”

The cuddly creatures and wide-eyed girls of Japanese-born artist Mari Inukai’s painting “Mamorubekimono” seem to inhabit the same world as Murakami’s anime-style characters. Though she is inspired by Murakami and his contemporaries, Inukai says she is more indebted to traditional Japanese ukiyo-e paintings for her show “Kuro-to-Shiro” (“black and white”) at Alhambra’s Gallery Nucleus.

“Similar to the concept of yin and yang, this new body of work is manifested through relationships of love and hate, past and future, needs and wants,” Inukai says in an e-mail.

Interestingly, the exhibit that most closely resembles “Copyright Murakami” is next door at the Japanese American National Museum. Curated by Eric Nakamura of the Giant Robot magazine and gallery empire, “Giant Robot Biennale: 50 Issues” features work by 10 artists who are clearly influenced by Japan’s animation-heavy art scene. Examples include David Choe’s graffiti-style murals and Adrian Tomine’s comic strips.

Despite their proximity, the shows do not compete for audiences, Nakamura says. In fact, when he ran into Murakami in an adjoining courtyard, the art star stopped to congratulate him.

“There are a lot of complementary elements to the shows,” Nakamura says. “That wasn’t intentional, but Murakami and I grew up in similar ways -- watching cartoons and reading comics. I’m sure that is why our art tastes are very similar.”

Lea.Lion@latimes.com

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NOT MURAKAMI, BUT . . .

“Out of Mind: Selected Works 2005-2007”

FIG, 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica. Ends Dec. 22. (310) 829-0345, www.figgallery.com

“Kuro-to-Shiro”

Gallery Nucleus, 30 W. Main St., Alhambra. Ends Dec. 3. (626) 458-7482, www.gallerynucleus.com

“Giant Robot Biennale: 50 Issues”

Japanese American National Museum, 369 E. 1st St., L.A. Ends Jan. 13. (213) 625-0414, www.janm.org