Kiku 307 by Andy Warhol depicts a brilliant blue chrysanthemum outlined in red, orange, and white. The flower sits against a deep gradient background that moves from emerald green to indigo. Its petals appear almost electric, unfolding with a sense of rhythm and quiet intensity. The mix of warm and cool tones gives the work both harmony and tension. Through this balance, Warhol transforms the chrysanthemum from a natural bloom into a glowing symbol of energy and renewal.
This screenprint belongs to Warhol’s 1983 Kiku series, inspired by the Japanese chrysanthemum. This flower has long associated with autumn, longevity, and the imperial tradition in Japan. In Kiku 307, Warhol reimagines this cultural emblem through his Pop Art lens, turning a symbol of refinement into one of visual power. Other works from the series, such as Kiku 308 and Kiku 309, show similar variations of color and mood. Likewise, each reveal how light and pigment can reshape emotion.
Kiku 307 by Andy Warhol as Part of His Larger Body of Work
Flowers fascinated Warhol throughout his career. His early Flowers (Black and White) and Flowers (Hand-Colored) series explored gesture and line, while his iconic Flowers of the 1960s celebrated color and form. The Kiku series builds on those ideas, combining elegance with Pop vibrancy. Here, Warhol respects the flower’s natural structure but heightens it through saturated hues and crisp outlines.
The Gendai Hanga Center in Tokyo commissioned the series in the early 1980s, inviting Warhol to bridge Japanese tradition with Western modernism. By doing so, he turned the chrysanthemum into a meeting point between two artistic worlds. Kiku 307 captures that exchange perfectly—a timeless flower reborn through contemporary rhythm, where cultural heritage meets Warhol’s unmistakable visual pulse.
