Japanese avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama dies at 97

Yayoi Kusama, the influential Japanese artist renowned for her immersive polka-dot installations and pumpkin sculptures, has died at the age of 97. Her passing was announced on her official website, stating she died on August 14, though a cause of death was not provided.

Kusama, who began experiencing hallucinations of flashing lights, dots, and flowers in childhood, transformed these visions into her signature artistic style. Upon moving to New York at age 27, she quickly established herself in the art scene. Her work, characterized by obsessive dot patterns and recurring pumpkin motifs, gained international acclaim.

Beyond her visual art, Kusama was also a writer and participated in anti-war activism during the 1960s. She is credited with influencing prominent artists such as Andy Warhol. Kusama was candid about her struggles with mental health, noting that her time in New York exacerbated her neuroses. In 1977, she voluntarily admitted herself to a mental hospital in Japan, where she resided for decades while continuing her artistic practice, commuting daily to her studio.

"I still see hallucinations even now," Kusama stated in 2017. "Dots come flying everywhere, on my dress, the floor, things I'm carrying, throughout the house, the ceiling. And I paint them." Her unique artistic vision, born from personal experience and mental health challenges, left an indelible mark on the global art world.

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I still see hallucinations even now. Dots come flying everywhere, on my dress, the floor, things I'm carrying, throughout the house, the ceiling. And I paint them.