Artist Yayoi Kusama captivated audiences worldwide with her distinctive viewpoint, often showcased through her canvases, sculptures, and museum exhibits adorned with an enchanting, seemingly endless array of her signature polka dots.
Her studio announced on Thursday that Kusama, who passed away at 97 in a Tokyo hospital, became one of Japan’s most esteemed modern artists. Her works have been displayed internationally in prestigious venues such as the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, as well as the Museum Ludwig in Germany.
Visitors walk through the Infinity Mirror Room during a preview of Yayoi Kusama’s major exhibition at the Museum Ludwig in Cologne, Germany, in March. (Martin Meissner/The Associated Press)
Among her most renowned works, the Infinity Mirror Rooms have generated long lines at various museums, including the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, where crowds gathered for the 2018 Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors exhibition. The immense popularity of the show prompted the gallery to acquire, supported by crowdfunding, the permanent installation Infinity Mirrored Room — Let’s Survive Forever.
Infinity Mirror Room — Phalli’s Field showcases Kusama’s signature polka dots on stuffed phallic forms surrounded by mirrors. Experiencing the piece alone creates a surreal atmosphere, as the viewer’s reflection becomes an integral part of the installation. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
The pumpkin theme appears in many of Kusama’s pieces dating back to the 1940s; in 1993, her work titled All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkin was showcased at the Venice Biennale. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
Her works, much like her signature orange bob hairstyle, have become instantly identifiable, characterized by her repetitive psychedelic designs that incorporate bright, vibrant swirls, worms, netting, and predominantly polka dots, sparkling spheres, or illuminated spots.
Kusama is depicted in a polka dot dress, collaborating with Louis Vuitton, a fashion brand she partnered with in 2012. (Steve Eichner/WWD/Penske Media/Getty Images)
Kusama visited Paris for her multi-venue exhibition in 2001. (Alain Nogues/Sygma/Getty Images)
Kusama often remarked that she painted the world as she perceived it: covered in dots, reminiscent of the hallucinations she experienced from a young age.
A woman admires the artwork My Eternal Soul Series during a preview of an exhibition featuring Kusama’s work at the Museum Ludwig in March. (Martin Meissner/The Associated Press)
The sculpture A Bouquet of Love I Saw In the Universe by Kusama is displayed at an exhibition at Martin-Gropius-Bau in April 2021 in Berlin. (Adam Berry/Getty Images)
Guests inside Kusama’s installation titled With All My Love for the Tulips, I Pray Forever, 2013, made from metal, fiberglass, urethane, paint, and stickers at the National Gallery Singapore in June 2017. (Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images)
Kusama confronted numerous mental health struggles and frequent stays in psychiatric facilities, and at one point faced alienation from Japan’s cultural elite due to her avant-garde approach, as noted by the New York Times. Nevertheless, she overcame these hurdles, and her body of work, which includes installations with phallic fabric sculptures and bold performance art pieces, sparked public discussion and solidified her presence in the art community.
An art installation featuring furniture, clothing, and other objects enveloped in phallic-like forms was exhibited in New York in 2012. (Steve Eichner/WWD/Penske Media/Getty Images)
Kusama was born in 1929 in Matsumoto, Japan, and relocated to the United States in 1957 to further her artistic career.
During the late 1960s, while residing in New York City, she organized “happening” performances protesting the war, wherein she painted circles on individuals and even on a horse. Although these performances garnered media coverage, they also led to obscenity-related arrests.
During Kusama’s ‘happening’ antiwar performances, such as this one on July 14, 1967, she adorned participants with painted circles. (Seymour Wally/NY Daily News/Getty Images)
Kusama’s I Spend Each Day Embracing Flowers is showcased at David Zwirner’s 19th street gallery in New York City in 2023. (Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
In a 2012 interview with The Associated Press, she expressed her ambition, stating, “I want to create a thousand paintings, maybe two thousand paintings, as many as I can draw. I will continue painting until I die.”
Paintings and flower sculptures titled Flowers that Bloom Now are displayed at the David Zwirner gallery in New York City in 2017. (Stephanie Ott/picture alliance/Getty Images)
As her recognition expanded, fashion brands began to acknowledge her influence. In 2012, Kusama collaborated with Louis Vuitton under the creative direction of Marc Jacobs. She also licensed her artwork for various products, including teacups, keychains, and T-shirts.
The Yayoi Kusama x Louis Vuitton immersive fashion and art pop-up was showcased at Harrods in 2023 in London. (Jim Dyson/Getty Images)
A sculpture of Yayoi Kusama is positioned atop the Louis Vuitton store on the Champs Elysees in 2023 in Paris. Kusama has licensed her art for a variety of products, including teacups, keychains, and T-shirts. (Edward Berthelot/Getty Images)
Kusama, in the center, is pictured with Louis Vuitton executives at the unveiling event for the collaboration in New York City in 2012. (Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)
Not only was Kusama a trailblazer in painting and sculpture, but she also ventured into filmmaking and literature, having authored several novels. She mentioned to The Associated Press that her artistic process held such mystery that it sometimes left her astonished.
“I think, ‘Oh I drew that? I was thinking that,'” she noted.
Dots Obsession: Infinity Mirrored Room was featured in 2008 at the contemporary art center Le Spot in Le Havre, France. (Robert Francois/AFP/Getty Images)
A tourist examines Kusama’s Yellow Pumpkin sculpture in Naoshima, Japan. (Education Images/Universal Images Group/Getty Images)
Kusama’s Love Forever features hexagonal mirrors encircling two peepholes that allow viewers to see their reflections endlessly. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)