In Pictures: The Dotty World of Japanese Artist Yayoi Kusama
BBC News presents a collection of images showcasing the vibrant and immersive creations of the renowned artist Yayoi Kusama, who has passed away at the age of 97.
A Life in Art
Yayoi Kusama left an indelible mark on the art world with her unique style, characterized by bright colors, shapes, patterns, and reflections. She emerged as a prominent figure within the pop art movement, captivating audiences worldwide with her mass-appeal artwork.
Immersion in Polka Dots
Her signature style involved covering entire galleries with polka dots, creating giant sculptures, and employing mirrors and lights to give the illusion of shapes dissolving into infinity. These immersive experiences drew crowds from Tokyo to New York and London.
A Visual Odyssey
- Kusama’s early visions: She attributed her artistic inspirations to childhood hallucinations of dots and lights.
- Global breakthrough: Representing Japan at the Venice Biennale in the 1990s propelled her to international fame.
- Notable exhibitions: Kusama exhibited at prestigious institutions like the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, Tate Modern in London, and the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo.
Interactive Installations
In 2017, visitors to the Smithsonian Institute’s Hirshhorn Museum in Washington DC participated by applying over 800,000 polka dot stickers to a white room and their own bodies.
Legacy at Tate Modern
Kusama’s 2012 retrospective at Tate Modern was followed by an installation of her iconic Infinity Mirror Rooms in 2021, attracting large audiences and extending its run multiple times.
Public Art on a Grand Scale
In 2023, a colossal figure by Kusama stood over the Louis Vuitton flagship store on Champs-Élysées in Paris. Her art also adorned Manchester’s Aviva Studios upon its opening in 2023 and captivated audiences in Melbourne, Australia two years prior.
A Life Spent in Art
Yayoi Kusama voluntarily lived in a psychiatric hospital for decades before her death in a Tokyo hospital earlier this month, leaving behind a testament to her artistic vision and creativity.
