Anyone meeting Takashi Murakami in person will find that his demeanor is as animated as his Manga-inspired paintings. Dripped from head to toe in a colorful octopus ensemble, we recently connected with the famed Japanese artist at the opening of his major retrospective in Vancouver Art Gallery titled “The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg.” The exhibit launch was just days after his 56th birthday this past February 3.

In a rapid-fire Q&A, we learned that Murakami actually hates his own birthdays as well as Christmas. He expressed that these joyous celebrations are more of a daily occurrence to him. “Everyday is a happy day,” he quipped. Moreover, he explained the reason why he transformed a pair of YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 into sandals as notoriously seen on social media as well as his most-recent exhibit with Virgil Abloh at Gagosian London titled “Future History.”