Japan's 'polka dot queen' artist Yayoi Kusama dies aged 97

Yayoi Kusama, the acclaimed Japanese artist known as the "Polka Dot Queen," has passed away at the age of 97, her company announced on Thursday. The "Infinity Mirrored Room" exhibition in Cologne, Germany, marked her final public appearance before her death on August 14.

Kusama's art, characterized by her signature polka dots, nets, and infinity motifs, was a visual manifestation of her encounters with hallucinations and trauma. Born in 1929 into a wealthy family, she began creating her iconic pieces at the age of ten. Moving to the United States in the late 1950s, she gained recognition in the avant-garde art scene of New York.

Despite facing discrimination as a Japanese woman, Kusama's unique style and provocative performances earned her worldwide fame. She established a fashion line, a "Church of Self-Obliteration," and styled herself as the "High Priestess of Polka Dots." Returning to Japan in the 1970s, Kusama lived and worked in a Tokyo psychiatric hospital, where her immersive installations and sculptures continued to attract global attention.