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Kusama Yellow and Black Pumpkin (with original box), ca. 2015 -
Pumpkin 2000 (Yellow), 2000
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Chapeau (II), 2000
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Dawn, 1989
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Lemon Squash, 1984
Yayoi Kusama, born in Matsumoto, Japan in 1929, is a renowned Japanese artist known for her distinctive style, including her use of polka dots, infinity mirrors, and immersive installations. She is also a writer, author of several works of fiction and poetry. Kusama's work explores themes of mental health, the human experience, and the relationship between art and reality.
Kusama's childhood was marked by a challenging family dynamic, including physical and verbal abuse from her mother. Her father's extramarital affairs, which she was tasked with observing, also deeply impacted her.
From a young age, she experienced hallucinations and obsessive-compulsive behavior, which she later used as inspiration for her art. Kusama began painting as a means of expressing her visions and dealing with her mental health.
She moved to New York in the late 1950s, becoming a key figure in the avant-garde art scene and associating with artists like Andy Warhol and Donald Judd. Her work, including "Infinity Net" paintings and mirror installations, gained renewed recognition in the 1980s and beyond.
She has continued to create art, write, and engage with the art world, despite living in a mental health facility in Tokyo since 1977.