An Exclusive Look Inside Yayoi Kusama's "EVERY DAY I PRAY FOR LOVE" Exhibition

This summer, David Zwirner gallery announced that renowned Japanese contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama would be bringing her large-scale installations and sculptures to the gallery space once again. Before “EVERY DAY I PRAY FOR LOVE” launches this Saturday, HYPEBEAST was given an exclusive look inside Kusama’s latest exhibition.

Since working with pop and minimalist artists in the 1960s, Kusama has created works that have captured global attention. From her famous dot works to large-scale installations, the artist explores her desire to escape from psychological trauma through an obsessive artistic vision. “EVERY DAY I PRAY FOR LOVE” brings viewers into an all-encompassing environment that highlights the artist’s prolific style of art. A new series of paintings depicting biomorphic shapes showcases the artist’s focus on minute details yet bold explorations of color. The repetition of dots within her work act as a source of self-obliteration.

A highlight of the exhibition is the debut of a never-before-seen Infinity Mirror Room, titled ‘DANCING LIGHTS THAT FLEW UP TO THE UNIVERSE.’ The captivating environments allow visitors to immerse themselves in an illusion of infinite space. Continuing with this theme, ‘Ladder to Heaven’ consists of a steel ladder, covered in LED lights, with circular mirrors placed above and below it. As the ladder changes colors, viewers have the impression that the ladder has no beginning or end.

Kusama continues to envelop viewers with organic-looking shapes and forms to give the impression of infinity and continuity. A new work, ‘Clouds,’ composed of almost a hundred different stainless-steel elements covers the floor. A new presentation of soft sculptures made with fabric, acrylic, and metal represents an entire family. Cast aluminum works, part of Kusama’s “Souls of Women that Continue Forever” series, depict female faces placed next to each other in a variety of fluid shapes; they are both abstract and figurative at once. The faces are portrayed in contrasting colorways, seeming to multiply in number against the wall.

“My entire life has been painted in these paintings. Every day, any day. I will never cease dedicating my whole life to my love for the universe,” Kusama’s statement on the exhibit reads. “Oh my dearest art. With the challenge of creating new art, I work as if dying; these works are my everything.”

Take a look inside “EVERY DAY I PRAY FOR LOVE” in the gallery above. The exhibition will be on show at David Zwirner’s 20th St. gallery from November 9 to December 14.

David Zwirner
537 West 20th Street
New York, NY 10011