Japanese polka dot artist Yayoi Kusama dies aged 97

Yayoi Kusama, the renowned Japanese avant-garde artist known for her iconic polka dot-covered sculptures and installations, has passed away at the age of 97. Kusama voluntarily resided in a psychiatric hospital for many years, recognized for her distinctive red wig and eccentric creations. Her exhibitions, drawing massive crowds worldwide, saw her works sell for some of the highest prices ever paid for a female artist.

Kusama's career was entirely dedicated to artistic creation, covering visual art, performance, fiction, and poetry. She continued painting right until her final days, never abandoning her brush, and continued exploring themes of eternal love and soul. Her company stated that they would carry forward her wishes, using art to bring hope and strength to people around the world.

Initially overlooked for decades, Kusama emerged as one of the world's most recognizable artists and global cultural icons in her 80s and 90s. Despite initial poor reception from a masculine-dominated New York art scene, her Infinity Mirror Rooms exhibited at the 1965 World's Fair attracted millions of visitors. Her polka dot and pumpkin works became highly sought-after, though she was distressed when her ideas were copied by male contemporaries, leading her to return to Japan feeling dejected.

Kusama received treatment for mental illnesses at a psychiatric facility in Japan, where her focus on creating art flourished. She became Japan's first solo artist to represent the country at the 1993 Venice Biennale, a transformation that had begun with her uninvited 1973 exhibition at the venue, laying down over 1,500 mirror balls that revolutionized her international reception.

In 2001, she was awarded the Asahi Prize for outstanding cultural, academic, and artistic contributions in Japan. One of her paintings sold for approximately $10.5 million at auction in 2022, marking her works as some of the highest-earning in the world for a female artist.

Kusama's art often reflected her personal experiences, such as her hallucinations of embers and flashing lights, which she later used to help others understand her vision of the world. She was born in 1929 in Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan, where her parents initially did not support her move to study painting in Kyoto, deeming it a source of shame to her conservative family. Her iconic motifs, including the pumpkin representing comfort and nostalgia, have become synonymous with her artistic legacy.