An 'icon' of contemporary art: A look back at the career of Yayoi Kusama
Japan's Yayoi Kusama, one of the world's most celebrated contemporary artists, has died aged 97, her company said on Thursday, triggering tributes from around the world. Eve Jackson takes a look at how the woman dubbed the "polka dot queen" became an icon of the art world.
Yayoi Kusama, a celebrated Japanese contemporary artist, has died at the age of 97. She was known as the "polka dot queen" for her signature dot and net patterns that she began producing at the age of 10. Kusama's work was influenced by vivid hallucinations and her experiences with mental illness, which she struggled with throughout her life.
Kusama's career spanned multiple decades and continents, including her time in New York's 1960s pop and minimalist scenes. She gained huge commercial success in her later years, with her larger-than-life paintings, sculptures, and installations selling for millions of dollars and packing out top galleries. According to the Malay Mail, Kusama lived voluntarily in a psychiatric hospital in Tokyo for the second half of her life.
Tributes have been paid to Kusama from around the world, including from Hong Kong fans and cultural figures, such as West Kowloon Cultural District Authority board chairman Bernard Chan and local design studio AllRightsReserved. Kusama's legacy is expected to inspire generations to come.
Brief written by urgent.news from France 24, South China Morning Post - Hong Kong, South China Morning Post, Malay Mail, Hindustan Times - World News — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Yayoi Kusama, who splashed polka dots across art world, dies at 97 in Tokyo apnews.com
- Yayoi Kusama, Japanese artist who turned hallucinations into art, dies at 97 abc.net.au
- Yayoi Kusama, who splashed polka dots across art world, dies at 97 in Tokyo koreatimes.co.kr
- Yayoi Kusama, who splashed polka dots across art world, dies at 97 in Tokyo abcnews.com
- Yayoi Kusama, who splashed polka dots across art world, dies at 97 in Tokyo winnipegfreepress.com
