Yayoi Kusama

When speaking of the renowned Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, one cannot overlook her iconic use of polka dots. Kusama has explained that her lifelong obsession with dots stemmed from hallucinations she experienced in childhood. She recalled: “One day, I was looking at the red flower patterns on the tablecloth. When I raised my head, I saw the same patterns spreading across the ceiling, the windows, and the pillars. I saw the entire room, my body, and the whole universe covered with red flowers. In that moment, my soul seemed to dissolve, spinning endlessly in the eternal flow of time and the boundless expanse of space.”

Born in 1929 in Nagano, Japan, Kusama has been hailed by The Times of London as one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century. Her creativity spans painting, sculpture, and installation art, distinguished by a uniquely diverse style that is unmistakably her own. She has received numerous awards in Japan, as well as international honors such as the U.S. National Lifetime Achievement Award and the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Chevalier). Today, she is regarded as one of the most influential contemporary artists in the world.