Yayoi Kusama, avant-garde artist known for polka dots and infinity rooms, dies at 97

Yayoi Kusama, the celebrated Japanese artist whose vibrant polka dots and mesmerizing infinity rooms captivated the world, has died at the age of 97. Kusama passed away in a Tokyo hospital on August 14, according to a statement released by her studio.

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Throughout an extraordinary lifetime devoted entirely to artistic creation, Kusama pursued an internationally acclaimed career as a pioneering avant-garde artist whose creative practice encompassed visual art, performance, fiction, and poetry.

Throughout her extraordinary life, Kusama was a pioneering force in the avant-garde movement, her creative practice spanning visual art, performance, fiction, and poetry. Her studio's statement emphasized her lifelong devotion to artistic creation, noting that she continued to paint until her final days, driven by a pursuit of "forever love and eternal soul."

Instantly recognizable by her signature red bobbed wig, Kusama's work found a massive audience, particularly in the social media age, with her immersive installations becoming prime spots for selfies. However, these themes were pioneered much earlier in her career, in the 1960s, before she experienced periods of obscurity.

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She continued to paint until her final days, never setting aside her brush, and continued exploration of forever love and eternal soul.

Born in Matsumoto, Japan, in 1929, Kusama's childhood was marked by hallucinations and an unhappy home life. She began drawing what she saw as a coping mechanism. After studying traditional Japanese painting, she moved to New York in 1958, where she developed her iconic "infinity net" paintings. Her work gained significant commercial success, with one painting selling for $7.1 million in 2014, a record for a living female artist at the time.

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We will carry forward Kusama’s wishes and, through art, continue to bring hope and strength for the future to people around the world.