Remembering Yayoi Kusama: A Personal Recollection from the Sixties
In a heartfelt tribute, PRINT Magazine's Daily Heller column honors Yayoi Kusama, who died at the age of 97. Steven Heller, the author, reminisces about their encounter in the late 1960s when he served as the art director for Screw magazine. Kusama was known for her vigorous promotion of her art, offering complimentary black-and-white prints and publishing 'Kusama Presents an Orgy: Nudity, Love, Sex & Beauty for Adults Over 21.' Later, filmmaker Heather Lenz reached out to Heller for her documentary 'Kusama Infinity: The Life and Art of Yayoi Kusama,' although his segment was ultimately omitted. Kusama made history in 1993 as the first female artist to represent Japan at the Venice Biennale and spent nearly fifty years in a psychiatric hospital in Tokyo, showcasing her work at MoMA, the Whitney, and Tate London.
Key facts
- Yayoi Kusama passed away at age 97.
- Steven Heller met Kusama in 1968 while he was art director of Screw magazine.
- Kusama supplied photos of her happenings to Screw and New York Review of Sex for free.
- Kusama published her own tabloid: 'Kusama Presents an Orgy: Nudity, Love, Sex & Beauty for Adults Over 21.'
- Filmmaker Heather Lenz made the documentary 'Kusama Infinity: The Life and Art of Yayoi Kusama.'
- Kusama was the first woman to represent Japan at the Venice Biennale in 1993.
- Kusama lived voluntarily in a Tokyo psychiatric hospital for almost five decades.
- Her work was exhibited at MoMA, Whitney, and Tate London.
Entities
Artists
- Yayoi Kusama
- Steven Heller
- Heather Lenz
Institutions
- PRINT Magazine
- Screw
- New York Review of Sex
- MoMA
- Whitney Museum
- Tate London
- Venice Biennale
Locations
- New York
- Tokyo
- Japan
- United States
- London
- Venice