Posted by Chinenye on Thu 27th Aug, 2026 - tori.ng
The art world is mourning the loss of one of Japan’s most unforgettable creative figures.
(Yayoi Kusama. Photo by Japan Today)
Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, known worldwide for her colorful polka-dotted sculptures and installations, has died at age 97.
She passed away in a Tokyo hospital on August 14.
Kusama spent decades living in a psychiatric hospital and became recognized for her distinctive red wig, giant unusual creations and bright artistic vision.
Her exhibitions attracted massive crowds globally, and her vibrant works sold for some of the highest prices ever paid for art by a female artist.
Her company said she devoted her entire life to creating art across visual installations, performance, writing and poetry.
She painted right up until her final days.
Kusama rose to fame late in life, becoming a major global icon in her 80s and 90s after being largely ignored for decades. In the 1960s,
New York's male-dominated art world rejected her work.
She created exhibitions featuring phallic sculptures and nudity that caused controversy.
Her Infinity Mirror Rooms in 1965 drew millions of visitors with their play of mirrors and lights creating endless spaces.
Later her polka dots and pumpkin designs became highly sought after.
But she grew bitter watching male artists like Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg and Lucas Samaras get credit for copying her ideas.
After years of seeing these men displayed in prestigious galleries while her own work was overlooked, she returned to Japan feeling broken.
She checked into a psychiatric facility where doctors were interested in art therapy.
This safe environment allowed her to keep creating
. She stayed and worked there for the rest of her life.
In the 1970s and 80s, her work took on darker tones with complex collages exploring nature and life cycles.
Kusama became Japan's first solo artist to represent the country at the 1993 Venice Biennale.
Decades earlier, she had shown up uninvited to the same event and laid down 1,500 mirror balls.
Her success led to massive change in how she was received worldwide. In 2001, she won Japan's Asahi Prize for outstanding cultural contributions.
One of her paintings sold for $10.5 million at auction in 2022. She worked with luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and her pieces appeared in major museums.
As a child, Kusama experienced hallucinations of flashing lights and embers, which inspired her artistic vision.
She wrote that seeing a red flower pattern on a tablecloth led her to see it covering everything around her.
Born in 1929 in rural Matsumoto, her conservative family opposed her desire to paint. She was told her art brought them shame. Some in the American press also criticized what they saw as her constant self-promotion.
Her pumpkins became iconic in her work, representing comfort and stability to her. In her hometown of Naoshima, visitors arriving by ferry are greeted by her outdoor Red Pumpkin sculpture covered in bold black polka dots.