Japanese avant garde artist Yayoi Kusama has died at the age of 97, bringing to a close one of the most distinctive careers in modern contemporary art, as reported by The Japan Times and Bloomberg. Kusama died on August 14 at a hospital in Tokyo, with her studio announcing her passing on August 27.
Kusama became internationally recognised for her signature polka dots, repetitive patterns, pumpkin sculptures and immersive Infinity Mirror Rooms, transforming personal visions and hallucinations into artworks that challenged conventional ideas of space, repetition and perception. Her work was exhibited at leading institutions including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Tate Modern in London.
Her journey from Matsumoto, Japan, to the New York avant garde scene of the 1950s and 1960s was marked by persistence and experimentation. After returning to Japan in the 1970s, Kusama continued producing art while living voluntarily in a psychiatric hospital and working from a nearby studio. Her career subsequently experienced a remarkable global resurgence, making her one of the most commercially successful and recognisable contemporary artists of her generation.
Kusama continued creating until her final days, maintaining a career spanning painting, sculpture, installation, performance, literature, fashion and design. Her influence extended well beyond galleries, with collaborations including Louis Vuitton helping introduce her distinctive visual language to global popular culture. Her foundation has pledged to continue advancing her wish to use art to bring hope and strength to people around the world.
