Yayoi Kusama

Yayoi Kusama Top 10

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Founded March 22, 1929
Headquarters Japan

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Description

Yayoi Kusama is a Japanese writer and artist. She was born in Japan as the fourth child in a conservative and prosperous family, who made a fortune from seed nurseries. Kusama has been reported to have an obsessive personality, sometimes suicidal and experiencing hallucinations.In 1948 she left home to enter a senior class at Kyoto Municipal School of Arts and Crafts, where she studied Nihonga painting, graduating the following year. By 1950, Kusama received early success for her work. She would depict natural forms in watercolor and gouache, often using polka dots which became a trademark of her work. The field of polka dots she employed she called “infinity nets,” which she says were taken directly from her hallucinations. After living in Tokyo, Kusama left to the U.S. at age 27, living in new york city and seattle. She was close to American artist Georgia O’keeffe, whom she used as a contact to establish her reputation as a leader in the avant-garde movement. She was very active in the American art scene and was very productive, by 1966 she was experimenting with room-sized canvasses, free standing installations and more. However, Kusama never profited financially from her work, whilst being constantly hospitalized for overwork. Kusama was also an active and vocal protester, often organizing outlandish protests. In 1966, Kusama participated in her first Veenice Biennale. In 1973, Kusama returned to Japan in poor health and began writing short stories and poetry. She checked herself into the Seiwa Hospital for the Mentally Ill, where she still resides by choice. Kusama has received numbers awards and recognitions, such as the Asahi Prize (2001), Ordre des Arts et des Lettres(2003), and the National Lifetime Achievement Awards, the Order of the Rising Sun (2006). In October 2006, Yayoi Kusama became the first Japanese woman to receive the Praemium Imperiale, one of Japan's most prestigious prizes for internationally recognized artists. She also received the Person of Cultural Merit (2009) and the Ango awards (2014).
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Latest Collections

Yayoi Kusama's 'Infinity Mirror Room' to Arrive in Chicago for the First Time
Art

Yayoi Kusama's 'Infinity Mirror Room' to Arrive in Chicago for the First Time

Organized by an secretive new institution called the wndr museum.

Best New Art: Isa Genzken, KAWS, George Condo & More
Art

Best New Art: Isa Genzken, KAWS, George Condo & More

Including a Yayoi Kusama show of “Small Pumpkin Paintings.”


A Look Inside Yayoi Kusama's New Exhibition in London
Art

A Look Inside Yayoi Kusama's New Exhibition in London

The first time these works have been shown in the UK.

How to Get a Limited Yayoi Kusama 'Infinity Mirror Room' Skate Deck
Art

How to Get a Limited Yayoi Kusama 'Infinity Mirror Room' Skate Deck

Alongside an enamel Pumpkin pin and gold keychain.

Haunting & Hallucinatory Art Events in Light of Halloween
Art

Haunting & Hallucinatory Art Events in Light of Halloween

Infinity mirrors, cosmic caverns and more.

Yayoi Kusama Is Bringing Her 'Infinity Mirror Rooms' to New York
Art

Yayoi Kusama Is Bringing Her 'Infinity Mirror Rooms' to New York

Expect lines around the block.

A Look Inside Yayoi Kusama's 'Infinity Mirrors' Exhibit in Los Angeles
Art

A Look Inside Yayoi Kusama's 'Infinity Mirrors' Exhibit in Los Angeles

Expect lots of visitors and a time limit on selfies.

The New Yayoi Kusama Museum Brings Polka Dots and Pumpkins to Shinjuku
Art

The New Yayoi Kusama Museum Brings Polka Dots and Pumpkins to Shinjuku

The first museum dedicated entirely to the legendary artist.

Yayoi Kusama's Life Is Captured in New Children's Book
Art

Yayoi Kusama's Life Is Captured in New Children's Book

More than just a picturebook.

Among Week's Best Art, Andres Serrano for Supreme
Art

Among Week's Best Art, Andres Serrano for Supreme

Including a rare Yayoi Kusama painting for sale.

Phaidon Unveils a New Book About Japanese Artist Yayoi Kusama
Art

Phaidon Unveils a New Book About Japanese Artist Yayoi Kusama

Featuring never-before-seen poetry by the artist.

Yayoi Kusama's Trippy New Museum, Post-it 'Gangster Doodles' & More Art You Need to See
Art

Yayoi Kusama's Trippy New Museum, Post-it 'Gangster Doodles' & More Art You Need to See

Including $3 million USD worth of MoMA photos.

 

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