Yayoi Kusama, a Japanese contemporary artist whose work with polka dots and immersive installations gained global recognition, died on Aug. 14 in Tokyo. She was 97.
Her death was confirmed by her studio and reported by The Yomiuri Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper, which stated the cause was multiple organ failure.
Kusama’s career spanned more than seven decades, during which she worked in painting, sculpture, performance art, and installation. She became widely known for her use of repetitive patterns, particularly polka dots and nets, which she applied to canvases, sculptures, and entire rooms. Her most prominent works include the Infinity Mirror Rooms, which use mirrors to create the perception of endless space.
Born in Matsumoto, Japan, in 1929, Kusama began creating art at a young age. She moved to the United States in 1957, settling in New York City, where she became an active figure in the avant-garde movement. During this period, her work was shown alongside that of artists such as Andy Warhol and Claes Oldenburg.
Kusama returned to Japan in 1973. In 1977, she voluntarily took up residence in a psychiatric hospital in Tokyo, where she continued to live and maintain a studio nearby for the remainder of her life. Kusama spoke openly about her mental health, stating in interviews and writings that her art was a way to process the visual and auditory hallucinations she said she had experienced since childhood.
After a period of reduced visibility outside Japan, her work gained renewed international attention in the late 1980s and 1990s. In 1993, she represented Japan at the Venice Biennale, a major international art exhibition.
In subsequent years, major museums around the world hosted large-scale retrospectives of her work, drawing significant public attendance. Her installations, particularly the Infinity Mirror Rooms, became popular attractions. In 2017, the Yayoi Kusama Museum opened in Tokyo, dedicated to her art. Her work continues to be exhibited globally and is held in the collections of major institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Tate Modern in London.
