Yayoi Kusama, a world-renowned contemporary artist from Japan, has passed away at the age of 97.
According to Kyodo News and the Yayoi Kusama Museum, she died on August 14 in a Tokyo hospital due to multiple organ failure.
The Yayoi Kusama Museum and the Yayoi Kusama Foundation released a statement saying, "Kusama dedicated her life to avant-garde art across various fields, including performance, novels, and poetry, centered around visual art. She continued to paint until just before her passing, steadfast in her belief in 'the salvation of the world through love.'"
Born in 1929 in Nagano Prefecture, Kusama built a unique artistic world characterized by intense and repetitive imagery, including her signature polka dots, pumpkin sculptures, and 'Infinity Mirror Rooms.' Over more than six decades, she worked across genres, including painting, sculpture, installation, performance, fashion, novels, and poetry.
Experiencing hallucinations from a young age, she translated her perception of space, which felt covered in dots and nets, into her artwork. The recurring polka dot and net patterns became her symbolic language.
Kusama studied painting at the Kyoto City University of Arts and held her first solo exhibition in 1952. In 1957, she moved to New York, facilitated by correspondence with fellow artist Georgia O'Keeffe, where she gained recognition in the American avant-garde art scene. She also incorporated social messages into her provocative performances, including anti-Vietnam War protests.
After returning to Japan in 1973, Kusama continued her artistic endeavors. She became one of the most successful living artists, with her works commanding high prices in the art market. In 2016, she was named one of TIME magazine's '100 Most Influential People in the World,' and in 2017, she opened the Yayoi Kusama Museum in Shinjuku, Tokyo.
The Yayoi Kusama Museum and Foundation stated, "We will carry on the artist's legacy by conveying hope and strength for the future to people around the world through art." The ongoing exhibition 'KUSAMA’s POP' will continue as scheduled until August 30.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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