Polka-dots and playfulness

Yayoi Kusama: Polka-dots and playfulness

Famous for having super Instagrammable art pieces, Yayoi Kusama is the world’s biggest-selling artist, and probably one of the most iconic, and eccentric name in the art world. Her captivating installations with mirrors, lights, and polka-dot elements have the power to connect art’s conceptual aspects with playfulness.

The Japanese born artist lived an intense an oppressed life back in Japan, which drove her to flee to the U.S. With no support from her family and prohibited to send money to the United States,  Kusama sewed bills to her kimono and left to New York, where she would live the lurks and the perks of the ’60s art and fashion scene.

Her famous ‘infinite rooms’, made with faced mirrors, were even copied by Andy Warhol in his exhibition ‘One thousand boats’. Yayoi was also a stern critic to the mechanism of the art world, what drove her even to create one of her more iconic art pieces ‘Narcissus Garden’. After not being invited to exhibit at the 1966 Venice Biennale, the world’s most important art event, Kusama just sold dozens of the balls around the Exhibition, having her artwork seem everywhere, even not being part of that year’s show.

After a very disturbed life and attempts of suicide, Yayoi checked herself to a hospital where she follows a series of art therapy. The artist who recently celebrated her 90th anniversary still has a fresh and inspirational style who attracts thousands of people all over the world. Her polka-dot pumpkins in the Japanese art island of Naoshima is probably the most visited art spot in the archipelago. Besides that, the artist also has two museums dedicated to her in Japan, one in Matsumoto, her hometown, and another in Tokyo, the last one famous for its stunning architecture and the very hard to book tickets.

Read more: http://yayoi-kusama.jp/e/information/index.html