ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Yayoi Kusama, Icon of Polka Dots and Infinity Rooms, Dies at 97

artist · 2026-08-27

Yayoi Kusama, the celebrated Japanese artist famed for her distinctive polka dots and infinity rooms, passed away on 14 August 2023, at the age of 97 in a Tokyo hospital. She was born on 22 March 1929 in Matsumoto City and enjoyed a prolific career spanning seven decades, encompassing painting, sculpture, and more. After completing her studies in Nihonga, she relocated to the United States in 1957, establishing herself in New York. Her inaugural solo exhibition took place at Brata Gallery in October 1959. During the 1960s, she produced notable pieces such as Infinity Mirror Room – Phalli's Field. Following her return to Japan in 1973, she resided in a psychiatric hospital starting in 1977. Her later work featured exhibitions at Tate Modern and partnerships with brands like Louis Vuitton.

Key facts

  • Yayoi Kusama died at a hospital in Tokyo on 14 August at age 97.
  • She was born on 22 March 1929 in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.
  • She moved to the United States in 1957 and to New York in 1958.
  • Her first solo exhibition in New York was at Brata Gallery in October 1959.
  • She created Infinity Mirror Room – Phalli's Field in 1965 and Kusama's Peep Show in 1966.
  • She presented Narcissus Garden at the 1966 Venice Biennale.
  • She voluntarily moved into a psychiatric hospital in Tokyo in 1977.
  • She represented Japan at the 1993 Venice Biennale with Mirror Room (Pumpkin).

Entities

Artists

Institutions

Locations

  • Tokyo
  • Japan
  • Matsumoto City
  • Nagano Prefecture
  • Japanese Alps
  • New York
  • United States
  • Seattle
  • Venice
  • Italy
  • Los Angeles
  • Minneapolis
  • Oxford
  • United Kingdom
  • Kyoto
  • Matsumoto
  • Melbourne
  • Australia
  • Cologne
  • Germany
  • Amsterdam
  • Netherlands
  • Switzerland
  • London
  • Washington, D.C.
  • Toronto
  • Cleveland
  • Atlanta
  • Bentonville
  • Arkansas
  • New Canaan
  • Connecticut
  • Rockaway Beach
  • Queens
  • Chatsworth House
  • England
  • Paris
  • France
  • Hong Kong
  • Naoshima
  • Shinjuku
  • Madrid
  • Bilbao
  • Riehen
  • Basel
  • Nagano
  • Bergamo
  • Milan
  • San Babila
  • 5th Avenue
  • Place Vendome
  • Osimo
  • Venice Biennale
  • Shanghai
  • Manchester
  • Singapore
  • Brooklyn Bridge
  • Turin
  • Canada

Sources

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