Yayoi Kusama
Yayoi Kusama built her work around repetition, sex, death, fear, and the idea of disappearing. Polka dots, nets, mirrors, pumpkins, and repeated forms became part of a style shaped by the hallucinations she had experienced since childhood.
Kusama was born in Matsumoto, Japan, in 1929. She began drawing as a child and later studied traditional Japanese painting. Her family did not support her plans to become an artist. In 1957, she left Japan for the United States and moved to New York the following year.
Kusama was born in Matsumoto, Japan, in 1929. She began drawing as a child and later studied traditional Japanese painting. Her family did not support her plans to become an artist. In 1957, she left Japan for the United States and moved to New York the following year.
Yayoi Kusama
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«I translate the hallucinations and obsessional images that plague me into sculptures and paintings».
In New York, Kusama started making large monochrome paintings covered with thousands of repeated marks. These became her Infinity Net paintings. She also made furniture covered with soft, sewn phallic forms. Sex was a direct part of her work, along with fear and obsession.
Kusama soon moved beyond painting. During the 1960s, she organised performances with nudity, sex, body painting, and political protest. Participants were often covered with polka dots. Some of her public events were stopped by police.
Kusama soon moved beyond painting. During the 1960s, she organised performances with nudity, sex, body painting, and political protest. Participants were often covered with polka dots. Some of her public events were stopped by police.
“Self-obliteration” became an important idea in her work. By covering people, furniture, walls, and rooms with dots, Kusama tried to blur the line between a person and the world around them. She connected this idea to the hallucinations she had experienced since childhood.
Her mental health was closely connected to her art. After returning to Japan in 1973, Kusama entered a psychiatric hospital in Tokyo in 1977. She chose to remain there and worked from a studio nearby for the rest of her life.
Her Infinity Mirror Rooms became some of her best-known works. Mirrors, lights, and repeated objects fill enclosed spaces and create the feeling of looking into an endless environment. Visitors became part of the work as their own reflections appeared among the objects.
Her mental health was closely connected to her art. After returning to Japan in 1973, Kusama entered a psychiatric hospital in Tokyo in 1977. She chose to remain there and worked from a studio nearby for the rest of her life.
Her Infinity Mirror Rooms became some of her best-known works. Mirrors, lights, and repeated objects fill enclosed spaces and create the feeling of looking into an endless environment. Visitors became part of the work as their own reflections appeared among the objects.
«I make them and make them and then keep on making them, until I bury myself in the process».
Kusama also returned repeatedly to a few simple forms. Her spotted pumpkins became one of her most recognisable subjects, while her phallic sculptures continued her earlier work with sexuality and fear. The bright colours often covered darker subjects.
She also wrote novels and poetry, made films, designed clothes, and worked with commercial brands. In 2012, she collaborated with Louis Vuitton on a collection covered with her signature dots. Her patterns appeared on bags, shoes, clothes, and accessories, taking her work from galleries into fashion stores around the world.
Kusama's polka dots eventually appeared far beyond galleries and museums, becoming part of popular culture.
She also wrote novels and poetry, made films, designed clothes, and worked with commercial brands. In 2012, she collaborated with Louis Vuitton on a collection covered with her signature dots. Her patterns appeared on bags, shoes, clothes, and accessories, taking her work from galleries into fashion stores around the world.
Kusama's polka dots eventually appeared far beyond galleries and museums, becoming part of popular culture.
Kusama died in Tokyo on August 14, 2026, at the age of 97. Her studio did not announce the cause of death. She continued working until the end of her life.
Behind the mirrors, dots, and bright colours were her experiences with hallucinations, anxiety, sexuality, and death. She spent decades turning those experiences into paintings, performances, objects, and rooms that surrounded the viewer.
Behind the mirrors, dots, and bright colours were her experiences with hallucinations, anxiety, sexuality, and death. She spent decades turning those experiences into paintings, performances, objects, and rooms that surrounded the viewer.