Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, renowned for her distinctive polka dot motifs in paintings, sculptures, and installations, has passed away at the age of 97. Kusama died on August 14 in a Tokyo hospital, as confirmed by her studio.
The studio statement noted, “She continued to paint until her final days, never setting aside her brush, and continued exploration of forever love and eternal soul. We will carry forward Kusama’s wishes and, through art, continue to bring hope and strength for the future to people around the world.”
Kusama attended a press preview of her exhibition, “I Who Have Arrived In Heaven,” at the David Zwirner Art Gallery in New York City in 2013. Over her career, she was widely exhibited across the globe, including at the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.
Her trademark repetitive motifs varied in form, resembling netting, swirls, or worms, yet polka dots were the most prevalent. These dots appeared in vibrant psychedelic forms on her canvases or installations.
In a 2012 interview with The Associated Press, Kusama stated, “Polka dots are fabulous.” She appeared in her characteristic orange bobcut wig and polka-dot attire, saying she aimed to “create a thousand paintings, maybe two thousand paintings, as many as I can draw” and would keep painting until the end of her life.
Her piece “Fireflies on the Water” from 2002 used mirrors, plexiglass, 150 lights, and water to create a unique visual experience. Kusama often said she painted the world as she saw it, covered in spots, representing hallucinations she experienced since childhood. Despite her mental health struggles, she forged a successful career in New York beginning in 1957.
Kusama’s bold artistic vision made her work accessible to many. She later partnered with fashion brands like Louis Vuitton and expanded her influence through licensed products, including teacups and key chains.
Her artwork achieved significant success; in 2008, a piece was auctioned at Christie’s for $5.8 million. By 2016, she received Japan’s Order of Culture, the country’s highest artistic honor. After receiving this award, Kusama expressed her unwavering commitment to art, noting that sincerity and dedication were central to her legacy.
Kusama’s artistic journey defied categorization despite being labeled as pop, avant-garde, or feminist. Born into a middle-class family, her parents envisioned a different life for her, encouraging marriage over artistry. Nonetheless, she chose to pursue art in America.
Upon arriving in New York, Kusama encountered the “action painting” trend but remained dedicated to her dots, sometimes integrating them into performance art as an anti-war statement in the 1960s.
She developed relationships with artists like Andy Warhol, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Joseph Cornell, who appreciated her innovative style. Over time, works like “Macaroni Girl,” “The Visionary Flowers,” and “Mirrored Corridor” showcased her distinctive creativity.
Kusama also ventured into filmmaking and literature. Her process of creating art was often shrouded in mystery, sometimes surprising even herself with the results.
During a preview of her “Infinity Mirrors” exhibit, she mentioned, “I think, ‘Oh, I drew that? I was thinking that,'” while remaining a complex figure juxtaposing vulnerability and defiance.
Kusama, who referred to herself as an “artistic revolutionary,” simultaneously expressed a relentless fear of the world around her, a characteristic mixture mirrored in her profound art and personal demeanor.
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