Artist Yayoi Kusama captivated the global audience with her distinct artistic vision, often characterized by saturating her artworks – be it paintings, sculptures, or installations – with an infinite array of her iconic polka dots. The passing of Kusama at the age of 97 in a Tokyo hospital, as confirmed by her studio on Thursday, marked the culmination of a celebrated career as one of Japan’s most esteemed contemporary artists. Her creations traversed the world, adorning prestigious exhibition spaces such as New York’s Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Museum Ludwig in Germany.
Among her most renowned works are her mesmerizing Infinity Mirror Rooms installations, drawing large crowds at various museums, including the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, where the Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors exhibition in 2018 attracted enthusiastic visitors. The exhibition’s success prompted the gallery to acquire, with the help of crowdfunding, the permanent installation Infinity Mirrored Room — Let’s Survive Forever.
Recognizable by her signature orange bob wig, Kusama’s art is characterized by repetitive psychedelic motifs, featuring vibrant swirls, intricate patterns, and her trademark polka dots, often accompanied by luminous orbs or lights.
Kusama, who candidly expressed that she painted the world as she perceived it – covered in spots akin to the hallucinations of her childhood, faced significant mental health challenges and endured periods of institutionalization. Despite being shunned by Japan’s cultural elite for her avant-garde style, Kusama’s provocative art, including installations with phallic fabric sculptures and daring performance pieces, sparked critical discourse and solidified her status as an art world luminary.
Born in 1929 in Matsumoto, Japan, Kusama relocated to the United States in 1957 to pursue her artistic endeavors. During the late ’60s in New York City, she staged antiwar “happening” performances, painting circles on individuals, and even on a horse, eliciting both media attention and legal repercussions for obscenity.
Expressing her unwavering dedication to her craft, Kusama once stated in a 2012 interview with The Associated Press, “I want to create a thousand paintings, maybe two thousand paintings, as many as I can draw. I will keep painting until I die.”
As her renown burgeoned, Kusama’s artistic prowess extended beyond traditional mediums, delving into filmmaking and literature, with several published novels to her credit. She reflected on her enigmatic creative process, expressing moments of astonishment at her own creations, saying, “I think, ‘Oh I drew that? I was thinking that.'”
Fashion houses began collaborating with Kusama, notably Louis Vuitton under creative director Marc Jacobs in 2012, leading to licensed products featuring her distinctive illustrations adorning various items such as teacups, keychains, and T-shirts.