Japanese avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama, celebrated for her obsessive dot-covered paintings and pumpkin motifs, died on August 14 at a hospital in Tokyo. She was 97 years old, according to an announcement on her official website.
The statement from Yayoi Kusama Studio confirmed her death but did not specify a cause. It noted that she continued painting until her final days, describing her work as an exploration of ‘forever love and eternal soul.’ The studio pledged to carry forward her artistic legacy, aiming to bring ‘hope and strength for the future’ to audiences worldwide.
Kusama was one of Japan’s most respected contemporary artists, with her work exhibited globally at institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. Her signature style featured repetitive motifs—dots, nets, swirls, and pumpkins—often rendered in vibrant, psychedelic colors. She described her art as a reflection of her lifelong hallucinations, which she experienced since childhood.
Early life and artistic beginnings
Born in Matsumoto, Japan, Kusama grew up in a family that owned a seed nursery. During World War II, she worked long hours in a parachute factory as a child. Her hallucinations, which included flashing lights, dots, and flowers, began in early life and became the foundation of her artistic practice. She documented these visions in sketchbooks, though her mother reportedly disapproved of her art-making and confiscated her supplies.
Inspired by a book of paintings by Georgia O’Keeffe, Kusama wrote to the American artist for guidance. O’Keeffe encouraged her to pursue art in the U.S., despite the challenges. In 1957, Kusama moved to New York, where she quickly gained recognition within the avant-garde scene.
Artistic influence and activism
Kusama’s work became synonymous with polka dots and infinity rooms, installations that immerse viewers in mirrored spaces filled with lights and reflections. She described her art as a form of survival, stating: ‘Our earth is only one polka dot among a million stars in the cosmos.’ Her repetitive patterns were not merely decorative but a way to process her mental health struggles, which she openly discussed.
During the 1960s, Kusama participated in anti-war protests and became a prominent figure in New York’s counterculture. She reportedly influenced artists such as Andy Warhol, though she rejected comparisons to the pop art movement. By the late 1970s, she had returned to Japan and voluntarily entered a mental hospital, where she lived for decades while continuing to create art. She was driven daily to her nearby studio, maintaining an active artistic practice.
Legacy and public engagement
Kusama’s work gained international acclaim, with exhibitions spanning paintings, sculptures, installations, and writings. She became known for her iconic orange bobcut wig and polka dot attire, often appearing in interviews in matching outfits. In a 2012 interview with the Associated Press, she stated: ‘Polka dots are fabulous. I want to create a thousand paintings, maybe two thousand paintings, as many as I can draw. I will keep painting until I die.’
Her ‘Infinity Mirrored Rooms’, such as The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away, became cultural phenomena, drawing millions of visitors to museums worldwide. Despite her struggles with mental health, Kusama framed her art as a celebration of life and the universe, rejecting the notion that her work was solely a product of her condition.
The artist’s passing marks the end of a career that spanned seven decades, during which she redefined contemporary art and inspired generations of creators. Her studio’s statement emphasized her enduring impact, vowing to ‘continue bringing hope and strength through art.’