Japanese Artist Yayoi Kusama Dies at 97

Kusama became internationally known for works built around repetition, infinity and vivid patterns, including her “Infinity Mirror Rooms,” which surround visitors with reflected lights and images to create the impression of endless space. Born March 22, 1929, in Matsumoto, Japan, she began experiencing vivid hallucinations as a child and later incorporated those experiences into her art. She moved to New York in 1957 and became part of the city’s experimental art scene, producing paintings, sculptures and performances while developing her distinctive visual language. Her work eventually entered major collections and exhibitions at institutions including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Tate Modern in London and the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington.

Kusama's career extended across more than seven decades and included painting, sculpture, performance, writing and large-scale installations. Although she spent much of her later life living voluntarily at a psychiatric hospital in Tokyo, she continued working at a nearby studio and remained artistically active into old age. Her popularity expanded dramatically in the 21st century, as museums around the world presented her immersive installations to large audiences and her polka-dot imagery became widely recognizable in popular culture. Kusama received major honors in Japan and abroad, including Japan’s Order of Culture, and her legacy includes a lasting influence on contemporary installation art and the way audiences experience museum spaces.

Sources: The Washington Post, BBC, NPR, NBC News, People, Reuters and Associated Press.