Yayoi Kusama, a Japanese artist celebrated for her vibrant polka dot sculptures and mesmerizing “Infinity Rooms,” has passed away. She was 97 years old. A statement from her representative, David Zwirner, confirmed Kusama died from “multiple organ failure” at a Tokyo hospital on August 14.
Kusama’s art was a window into her imagination, featuring repetitive brushstrokes on her infinity net paintings and large dotted pumpkins. Her enclosed mirrored rooms, filled with twinkling lights, seemed limitless to viewers. She described her work as a survival tool, while viewers found a cosmic reflection in it. “Our earth is only one polka dot among a million stars in the cosmos,” she once wrote.
“Our earth is only one polka dot among a million stars in the cosmos,” she wrote.
Born in Matsumoto, Japan, Kusama’s early years were spent near mountains, amidst a family-owned seed nursery. World War II saw her working in a parachute factory. Throughout her life, she experienced hallucinations, often sketching them to cope. Her mother disapproved of her art, frequently confiscating her supplies. Despite this, a book by Georgia O’Keeffe inspired her. Encouraged by O’Keeffe, she ventured to the U.S. in the late 1950s, immersing herself in New York’s avant-garde scene.
During the Vietnam War, Kusama staged “happenings,” painting polka dots on protestors’ bodies. She even wrote an open letter to President Nixon, ambiguously suggesting intimacy in exchange for ending the war. “As we soar through the heavens, we’ll paint each other with polka dots, lose our egos in timeless eternity,” she wrote. Her dealer in the 1960s, Richard Castellane, recalls the awe her Infinity Rooms inspired, describing rooms with blinking lights and a Beatles soundtrack.
Despite her innovative art, gaining respect in a male-dominated scene was challenging. Curator Mika Yoshitake noted the difficulty but also acknowledged her embrace of her exotic image. Returning to Japan in the 1970s due to financial and health struggles, Kusama chose to live in a psychiatric institution, continuing her art from a studio nearby. Her fame grew, leading to major exhibitions at places like the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn and the Tate in London. In 2017, the Yayoi Kusama Museum opened in Tokyo.
Kusama’s designs have appeared on various consumer products, illustrating her enduring influence. Throughout her life, she maintained that art was essential to her existence. In her autobiography, she expressed satisfaction if future generations simply recognized her contributions. “Art, for me, is a creed,” she wrote.
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