Japan's "Polka Dot Queen" Artist Yayoi Kusama Dies At 97
Renowned Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, famous for her polka dot motifs and infinity rooms, has passed away at the age of 97. Her career spanned decades, influencing the global avant-garde scene through visual art, fashion, and performance.
Why it matters
Kusama was a seminal figure in contemporary art whose work bridged the gap between mental health advocacy and high-profile global pop culture.
Japan's Yayoi Kusama, one of the world's most celebrated contemporary artists, has died aged 97, her company said Thursday, triggering tributes from around the world.The "polka dot queen" channelled hallucinations and battles with mental health into vibrant art featuring her trademark dots, nets and infinity motifs over a career spanning decades and continents."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," a statement said, announcing her death on August 14."She continued to paint until her final days, never setting aside her brush, and continued exploration of forever love and eternal soul," it added.Born in 1929 to a wealthy and conservative family, Kusama began producing her unique signature art aged 10."One day, after seeing a tablecloth with a red flower pattern on a desk, I saw the same red flower…
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