Yayoi Kusama is a Japanese artist born in Nagano Prefecture in 1929.
“The world of the soul, the world of the unconscious, the world of the universe, the world of the infinity, and the world of the death. I want to express these worlds through my art.”
She started painting using polka dots and nets as motifs around age ten. She moved to the United States in 1957 and became a leading figure in the avant-garde art scene. She is known for her extensive use of polka dots, infinity mirror rooms, and pumpkin sculptures. She has worked in painting, sculpture, performance art, and installation. Her work explores themes of self-reflection, feminism, obsession, sex, creation, and destruction. She has influenced generations of artists and is one of the most celebrated living artists in the world.
- Born in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, in 1929.
- Created Infinity Net paintings in the late 1950s.
- Known for her Infinity Mirror Rooms.
- Her pumpkin sculptures are iconic.
- Received the Praemium Imperiale in 2006.
She moved to New York in 1957 and was part of the avant-garde movement. Her 1960s happenings included body painting festivals and anti-war demonstrations.
She uses simple forms like dots and nets to create complex visual effects. Her work expresses personal struggles with mental illness and transforms them into universal experiences.
She has received numerous awards, including the Praemium Imperiale and the Order of the Rising Sun. She continues to create art in her studio in Tokyo.
“Obliterate yourself and become one with the infinity.”
