Yayoi Kusama, Contemporary Art Master Known for Polka Dot Pumpkins, Passes Away at 97

Japanese sculptor and installation artist Yayoi Kusama passed away on the 14th at the age of 97, Japanese media reported today (the 27th).

According to Kyodo News and other reports, Kusama died from multiple organ failure at a hospital in Tokyo on the 14th.

Kusama is famous for her massive pumpkin sculpture works featuring colorful polka dot motifs.

Countless polka dots and net patterns were her trademarks, reportedly stemming from hallucinations she experienced since childhood.

Born in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, in 1929, she moved to the United States in 1957 and was active in New York until returning to Japan in 1973.

She gained attention through street performances such as painting polka dots on naked men and women, earning her the title "Queen of the Happening."
After returning to Japan, she released various works themed around dots and net patterns, and in 1993, she participated in the Venice Biennale as the sole representative for the Japanese Pavilion.

In 2011 and 2012, large-scale retrospective exhibitions were held at major art museums in Europe and the United States, and she also drew attention through a collaboration with the brand Louis Vuitton.

In 2017, the Yayoi Kusama Museum opened in Shinjuku, Tokyo, through which she continued to unveil new works even in her later years.

She received the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2003, was named a Person of Cultural Merit by the Japanese government in 2009, and received the Order of Culture from Japan in 2016.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.