Yayoi Kusama
"Artist and Polka Dot Queen"
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studio, on January 25, 2012 in Tokyo, Japan. Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert / Getty Image
Yayoi Kusama is one of Japan’s most well-known contemporary artists. Her iconic and whimsical use of polka dots in her installations, paintings, and sculptures charm audiences of all ages.
A hallucination she experienced while looking at a tablecloth as a child inspired the use of polka dots.
“One day I was looking at the red flower patterns of the tablecloth on a table, and when I looked up I saw the same pattern covering the ceiling, the windows, and the walls, and finally all over the room, my body and the universe,” she recalled, “I felt as if I had begun to self-obliterate, to revolve in the infinity of endless time and the absoluteness of space.”
The addition of dots to her artwork made her feel as if she were making them (and herself) become part of, the bigger universe.
“Our earth is only one polka dot
among a million stars in the cosmos/
Polka dots are a way to infinity.”
-Yayoi Kusama
For the first time, in 1965, Kusama utilized mirrors to showcase the repetitive nature of her dots, birthing infinity rooms.
Many of her installations created a participatory experience between the artist and visitor of her artwork.
"My life is a dot lost among thousands of other dots."- Yayoi Kusama
In 2022, the luxury fashion brand, Louis Vuitton, announced a collaboration with Yayoi Kusama for their 2023 Cruise Collection, featuring the artist's signature dots across their handbags.
Millions of people all across the globe gather to see Yayoi Kusama's highly acclaimed exhibitions that feature her iconic dots.
Learn more about Yayoi Kusama
See my photos from Yayoi Kusama's NYBG exhibition: Cosmic Nature in 2021
Updated: June 24, 2022
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