Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Nets, Pumpkins and a Life in Dots
Few living artists are as instantly recognisable as Yayoi Kusama. Her polka dots, nets and pumpkins appear in museums, on fashion and in the homes of collectors worldwide. Behind the dots is a long, demanding career that began in rural Japan nearly a century ago.
Matsumoto to New York
Kusama was born in 1929 in Matsumoto, Nagano, into a family of plant nursery owners. She drew obsessively from childhood, and has described visions of patterns that seemed to spread across everything she saw. In 1958 she moved to New York, where her vast Infinity Net paintings, made of endlessly repeated loops, drew attention from the city's avant-garde.
Soft sculpture and mirror rooms
In the 1960s Kusama covered furniture and objects with stuffed fabric forms, staged happenings and, in 1965, created her first mirrored infinity room, in which reflections multiply patterns endlessly. These works anticipated installation and pop art, and she exhibited alongside the leading artists of the time.
Return to Tokyo
Kusama returned to Japan in 1973. Since the late 1970s she has lived and worked in Tokyo, where she has continued to paint every day. Her reputation grew steadily, and by the 2000s she was among the most celebrated artists in the world. A museum dedicated to her work opened in Tokyo in 2017.
Pumpkins and dots
Pumpkins have appeared in Kusama's work since her youth. Her large yellow pumpkin on the island of Naoshima, installed in 1994, became an emblem of contemporary art in Japan. Dots and pumpkins together form the vocabulary most collectors know.
How her work is collected
- Unique paintings and sculpture belong to the top of the art market.
- Prints: screenprints and other editions, signed and numbered by hand, are the main entry point for collectors.
- Multiples and objects: editioned sculptures and objects, often numbered.
- Collaborations and merchandise: fashion collaborations and museum goods, collectable but distinct from the artworks.
For editions, read Collecting Murakami, Kusama and Nara Prints from Japan.
Questions collectors ask
How do I know a Kusama print is genuine?
Check the hand signature, edition number, publisher documentation and printing method, and buy from sources that guarantee authenticity. Read Authenticating Japanese Art and Collections.
Why are so many Kusama editions found in Japan?
Many were published and first sold there, and Japanese collectors keep them carefully.
How should prints be displayed?
Framed behind UV-filtering glazing and away from direct sun.